Enric Mas has now racked up as many podium finishes within the Vuelta a España as Primoz Roglič has general wins, however the Movistar group chief admitted it was not the outcome he was on the lookout for.
He was capable of distance Roglič on some climbs and mountain finishes however solely completed third general, 3:13 down on the Slovenian, and 37 seconds down on second positioned Ben O’Connor (Decathlon-AG2R).
Mas began the Vuelta eager to win.
“I don’t really feel happy and that’s the reality,” Mas stated.
“The group sacrificed itself within the race for me from starting to finish, not stepping into breaks to struggle for particular person wins and I’m very grateful to them for that.”
“I got here near some stage victories and if I had managed to beat Primoz in them I’d have come away with a greater feeling.”
Within the ultimate time trial, Mas conserved his third place general however didn’t dislodge O’Connor regardless of ust a nine-second hole between the 2 previous to the final stage. Opposite to some expectations, O’Connor had a a lot better race towards the clock than Mas in Madrid and consequently, the Australian’s ultimate benefit over the Spaniard widened to 37 seconds.
“I’m feeling exhausted after a number of energy-sapping days,” Mas stated, “Earlier than the TT I had the sensation that I may do higher, however I rapidly realised within the opening kilometres that this wasn’t going to be my stage.”
“This was my worst day of the Vuelta, given my gentle weight and the time trial being so flat. However throughout the entire race, maybe the day I suffered essentially the most on this Vuelta was on Ancares” – the place he misplaced a minute to Roglič – “and the one I most loved was on the Lagos de Covadonga.”
That stated, the sight of Mas dropping your entire discipline on the Hazallanas stage on the finish of the primary week, confirmed he was in gorgeous kind.
Third could not have been the outcome he was on the lookout for nevertheless it helped him regain some badly wanted Grand Tour momentum after a really troublesome Tour de France.
“We actually don’t know what occurred within the Tour, however I had a number of issues; I suffered on the flat, the climbs and I had two very dangerous first weeks,” Mas advised Eurosport on Sunday.
“With persistence and by staying calm, I managed to show issues round within the third week of the Tour and I began feeling a lot better. And this podium on the Vuelta is certainly linked to having improved a lot within the final a part of the Tour.”
Mas recognised that he had been extra aggressive and attacked greater than in different editions of the Vuelta. However as he additionally insisted, not having the ability to take a stage win or end greater up on the rostrum meant that “We haven’t been capable of make the most of that.”
Having added a 3rd place within the Vuelta to his second locations of 2018, 2021 and 2022, the 29-year-old is hoping to go to the World Championships in Zurich and struggle for the rainbow jersey on the hilly Swiss circuit.
He’ll then full his season within the Italian Classics, the place he claimed his most up-to-date victory, the Giro dell’Emilia, again in October 2022.
