Vuelta a España GC challenger Enric Mas (Movistar) regained nearly a minute on flagging leader Ben O’Connor (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) on the relentlessly difficult ascent of Ancares, and the Spaniard was anything but content at the finish.
To date, Mas has been the one rider who has been able to stick with Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), whether it be on the viciously-steep slopes of Villuercas and Cazorla or the much punchier ascent on the stage to Padron. Not only that, on the stage to Sierra Nevada last Sunday, Mas was even able to drop Roglič and gain nearly a minute before getting reeled in on the long descent back into Granada.
However, on stage 13 on the final ascent of Ancares when Roglič went on the rampage in his latest attempt to put a dent into O’Connor’s lead, it proved to be a very different story for the Spaniard. Mas managed to stick with Roglič for almost a kilometre after the Red Bull leader went clear on Ancares' horrendously steep slopes, but that was as good as it got.
Losing 58 seconds on the Slovenian by the summit, Mas' bad day was considerably worsened by the 23 seconds he ceded to Spanish GC challengers Mikel Landa (T Rex-Quick-Step) and 14 seconds to Carlos Rodríguez (Ineos Grenadiers). Mas is still 12 seconds ahead of his closest rival for the podium, Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost), but further down GC, the gaps are shrinking.
“I hope it was just a bad day,” Mas said. “I felt empty from the foot of the climb and that’s why I didn’t try to take turns when I got away with Primož.
“Up until then I’ve felt great in the race, but perhaps I overdid it by even trying to follow him. But I’m going to keep on trying, that’s for sure.”
Mas certainly looked to be at the limit of his strength as he approached the line, his eyes gazing fixedly ahead as he battled with the pain. Yet despite his first setback of the race, Mas added pugnaciously, “I’m still going to try to win the Vuelta”, and the triple runner-up overall (2018, 2021 and 2022) is still only 3:01 down on O’Connor.
However, he is not the only rider from south of the Pyrenees still in the running for a top spot in the Spanish Grand Tour. Basque Mikel Landa (T Rex-Quick-Step), who was able to rely on breakaway teammate Kasper Asgreen to give him support on the Ancares, is still lying fifth overall, at 3:20.
Landa had a slow start on the climb but was gradually able to make up lost ground and he thanked Asgreen profusely at the finish.
“Having somebody with me who forced me to push a little deeper was really key,” Landa said, “because I was right on my limit. Primož is definitely a bit stronger than the rest of us, but there’s still a lot of Vuelta left to race.”
Ineos Grenadier GC contender Rodríguez was equally content after one of his best performances to date in the 2024 Vuelta, riding at his own pace to remain in sixth overall.
“We knew that it was a very tough ascent, and you had to handle your strength very carefully,” said Rodríguez, currently leading the best young rider’s ranking by 17 seconds on Roglič’s teammate Florian Lipowitz.
“Bora really put the hammer down from the start of the climb and I didn’t think I could handle it. But I kept the same pace and intensity all the way up the climb and I think I did that very well. I’ve lost time on Roglič and Landa, but I’m happy.”
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