Mas resists Roglic to bring Vuelta to match point

As the 2km to go banner came into view, Primož Roglič finally decided to test the waters in person. His Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe squad had already set the pace on the lower slopes of Peñas Blancas, but the anticipated onslaught never materialised, and Enric Mas’ Movistar guard had pointedly taken up the reins again soon afterwards.

Two days from Granada and 24 hours after failing to make a dent in Mas’ lead in the time trial, Roglič was fast running out of road. Yes, there is still the mammoth stage to Collado del Alguacil to come on Saturday, but Roglič needed a sign that the tide could be turned.

On the 2018 Giro d’Italia, after all, the handful of seconds the previously impregnable Simon Yates lost at Pratonevoso were a harbinger of his sudden collapse on the Colle delle Finestre the following day. 

Roglič wasn’t going to snatch the red jersey back from Mas in one fell swoop at Peñas Blancas, and certainly not with an attack this late in the day, but clawing back a few seconds here would at least shift the momentum of the Vuelta a little ahead of the decisive day.

Mas knew that too and he knew the importance of snuffing out any hint of insurrection. He was primed for an attack from Roglič and he responded swiftly to his acceleration. Felix Gall, Richard Carapaz and Oscar Onley all came too, but the top five of the Vuelta would play out a score draw on the upper reaches of Peñas Blancas.

It was another successful outing for Mas, who crested the summit alongside his rivals, 5:11 down on the day’s winner Eddie Dunbar (Pinarello-Q36.5). His lead of 1:37 over Roglič and 3:01 on Gall remains intact ahead of the Vuelta’s final weekend. One day less.

Mas’ most uncomfortable moment since inheriting the overall lead when Tadej Pogacar crashed out on stage 8 came in Xeraco that evening, when he was reluctantly called onto the podium to accept a red jersey that he politely declined to wear.

A day later, and having realised the opportunity that lay before him, Mas already looked more at ease in the maillot rojo. To emphasise the point, he dealt calmly with a flurry of attacks on the Alto de Aitana before delivering a telling acceleration of his own to claim stage victory and increase his overall lead.

Since then, Mas has always looked in total command of the situation. At Calar Alto and La Pandera, he made further gains on Roglič. On flat stages, he was always perfectly placed to avoid getting caught out in crosswinds. And in the Jerez de la Frontera time trial, where many expected Roglič to close to within touching distance of the lead, Mas conceded just 33 seconds.

That astonishing effort must surely have cost Mas something ahead of the final two mountain stages of the Vuelta, hence Carapaz’s desire to attack from distance on Friday and Red Bull’s decision to apply pressure at the foot of Peñas Blancas.

But as has been the case since Xeraco, Mas never looked troubled on stage 19. The question marks against him are entirely because of his track record – just seven pro wins and plenty of Grand Tour disappointments – rather than his current form. But on the evidence of the past two weeks, Mas looks a Vuelta champion in waiting. 

At match point, Mas only needs to keep Roglič in sight to win the Vuelta, though that’s easier said than done after three weeks of racing and with the toughest stage of the race to come. The penultimate day of the Vuelta features almost 5,000m of climbing. After two ascents of the category 1 Puerto de El Purche, Mas and company take on the category 1 Puerto de El Duque ahead of the HC haul to the line at Collado del Alguacil.

As frequent habitues of the High-Performance Centre at Sierra Nevada, Mas and Roglič are both familiar with the climbs, and both men know the stakes too. Mas’ ability to cope with the pressure and seize the opportunity of a lifetime has been a recurring theme in this Vuelta, and he didn’t shy away from it when asked to preview stage 20 on Friday evening. “Tomorrow is an important day in my career,” Mas said. “It might even be the most important day of my career.” 

Mas can expect more long-range aggression from Carapaz, who raced on Friday like a man who hasn’t forgotten the Spaniard’s part in pacing Roglič on the Covatilla back in 2020. But above all, he will be braced for some manner of do or die effort from Roglič and Red Bull. Their efforts were wholehearted but underwhelming on Friday, but they’ll pound the rock one more time on Saturday. 

Mas has held firm so far, but he knows this surprising Vuelta might throw up a late twist yet.