Enric Mas has carried the red jersey of the Vuelta a España into the race's final week, and into the one day that has repeatedly cost him: a 32.1km individual time trial on Thursday's stage 18.
The Movistar rider inherited the lead after Tadej Pogačar crashed, and has looked untroubled in the mountains since. His buffer at the last rest day was 2:06 over Felix Gall of Decathlon CMA CGM and 2:10 over Primož Roglič — a narrow margin against a rider who has won this race four times and knows exactly how to use a time trial. Roglič took the 2024 Vuelta off Ben O'Connor in a 24.6km test against the clock; Mas lost more than a minute to him that day and finished third overall.
Movistar are unbothered. "I think we've seen probably the best version of Enric Mas, maybe ever," Director of Racing Matt White told TNT Sports after stage 15.
Mas has stood on the Vuelta podium four times without ever reaching the top step. Thursday decides whether that changes, with the race finishing in Granada on Sunday.
Source
Original summary by Proventier.