Enric Mas couldn’t shake off Primož Roglič on stage 16 of the Vuelta a España, however the Spaniard seems to be warming to the thought of successful this race in Madrid subsequent Sunday after an aggressive show at Lagos de Covadonga.
Mas’ assault 7km from the mist-shrouded summit positioned purple jersey Ben O’Connor in issue, and he kicked once more a mile or so later with a transfer that solely Roglič, Richard Carapaz and David Gaudu might observe.
That quartet would attain the end collectively, placing just below a minute into O’Connor, a end result that leaves Mas nonetheless third total, however now simply 1:25 off the purple jersey, whereas Roglič lies second total at 5 seconds. “The sensation is nice,” Mas instructed reporters after he had modified in a tent past the end line.
After he conceded a minute to Roglič on the Puerto de Ancares on stage 13, Mas’ Vuelta seemed to be conforming to a well-recognized narrative. Though he has been a constant performer on this race over time, putting second on three events, there has all the time gave the impression to be an higher restrict on what he might obtain.
Mas responded to his setback on the Ancares with a spirited show at Cuitu Negru on stage 15, the place he briefly distanced Roglič earlier than the Slovenian battled his means again as much as his wheel earlier than the end. The Movistar rider continued in an identical vein on the highway to Lagos de Covadonga on Tuesday, whereas Roglič largely adopted a coverage of containment.
Certainly, Mas even appeared to ape Roglič’s race-winning transfer of 2021 right here, when he set his Movistar crew to work on the penultimate climb of Collada Llomena with 60km or so nonetheless to race. After an extended flip from Nairo Quintana and an injection of tempo from Einer Rubio, Mas accelerated kind of on the level the place Roglič attacked with Bernal three years in the past.
The transfer petered out as soon as Roglič and the opposite podium contenders had bridged throughout, and O’Connor’s Decathlon-AG2R squad took up the pace-making thereafter, however it was nonetheless an announcement of intent from Mas and his crew.
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“We tried our luck on the penultimate climb, however issues did not go the way in which we wished. Immediately I pulled extra on the entrance, others did it on different days,” Mas mentioned. “Once I noticed that they had been on my wheel after I made the assault, I knew that it wasn’t exhausting sufficient and so I needed to cease. It was time to observe then.”
He would attempt once more on the ultimate ascent to Lagos de Covadonga, however solely after his compatriot Mikel Landa (Soudal-QuickStep) had ignited the attacking within the purple jersey group with a decided effort 9km from the summit. Mas launched the primary of his efforts with 7km remaining, whereas he even briefly appeared to hassle Roglič with one other acceleration with 5.5km.
From there, nonetheless, Mas, Roglič, Carapaz and Gaudu performed out one thing of a rating draw beneath a shroud of low cloud and rain. The low visibility allied to 2, sinuous downhill sections within the last 3km tempered any additional aggression within the group.
“We loved right this moment at Lagos, however I hope the climate improves subsequent time. I could not see something on the descent, however neither might Primož, in order that’s OK,” mentioned Mas, who smilingly chided reporters for suggesting the subsequent main rendezvous would come on the subsequent summit end on the Alto de Moncalvillo on stage 19. “Tomorrow is Santander, and we will not discard that stage as a result of persons are going very quick.”
Landismo
Few departed the end space as quick as Roglič, who deftly dodged the media scrum and descended swiftly to his Pink Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe crew bus. O’Connor’s battling efficiency means Roglič was spared a go to to the rostrum and press convention on Tuesday, however with a deficit of simply 5 seconds on the purple jersey the Slovenian is now the clear reference level for the GC males.
A headline on the Marca web site on Tuesday night, in the meantime, spoke optimistically of the dream of a “last alliance: Landa and Mas versus Roglič.” Each of the house hopes had been actually on the entrance foot at Lagos de Covadonga, even when their aggression didn’t yield any materials achieve on Roglič.
Certainly, after attacking early at Lagos de Covadonga, Landa was caught and handed by the Roglič-Mas group, although he managed to restrict his losses on them to eleven seconds, a end result that leaves him fifth total, 2:18 off the purple jersey.
“I wished to attempt from the underside of the climb in case any of the favourites cracked, however in the long run no person cracked and it was all a matter of seconds,” Landa mentioned on crossing the road. “Each day that passes it will get harder – however on daily basis there’s additionally much less to lose.”
Landismo by no means dies, in different phrases, and the Basque had beneficiant phrases, too, for O’Connor’s defence of his jersey on the ultimate climb. “I am glad that he’s saved the jersey,” Landa mentioned. “He is driving properly, his crew is being courageous, and I might be glad if he received it.”
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