Dunbar knocked out in La Vuelta, time for Jan Maas' big dreams? "Geraint Thomas is a perfect role model"

We spoke to Maas three days before the Vuelta. At that time, it was 36 degrees in Barcelona, and the sparrows were dropping from the roofs. The cheerful North Brabander from Bergen op Zoom wasn't bothered much by it. "In my apartment near Calpe, I have lived like a monk after the World Championships. It was even hotter there than it is now in Barcelona, so I put in hours at temperatures ranging from 35 to 40 degrees. I can say that I've had the perfect preparation for what's coming in the next weeks."

We spoke to Maas three days before the Vuelta. At that time, the temperature in Barcelona was soaring to 36 degrees, so hot that you'd think sparrows might fall from the sky. The good-humored North Brabanter from Bergen op Zoom didn't have much trouble with it. "I've been living like a monk in my apartment near Calpe since the World Championships. The heat there was even more intense than what we're experiencing in Barcelona right now. I've trained for hours in temperatures from 35 to 40 degrees, so I'm perfectly prepared for the challenges in the coming weeks."

The rain on Saturday and Sunday at the start of the Vuelta in Barcelona didn't necessarily suit Maas and Jayco-AlUla. In fact, nearly the entire team crashed during the team time trial on Saturday. And when we left the hectic city behind us on Monday, it was team leader Dunbar who crashed hard in the finale. By Wednesday, in the fifth stage, it didn't take long for the 26-year-old Irishman to give up due to his injuries. Zana followed not much later.

Before the Vuelta, Maas had told us how well-prepared Dunbar was. "He's an incredibly genuine guy, with his heart in the right place and a clear mind. He embodies the Irish mentality - he's no pushover. It's easy to ride for someone like that, who doesn't complain and keeps fighting. Now that he's here, I know he's done everything he can to prepare and that he's ready for it. In the Giro, he showed that he can come very close to the podium (Dunbar finished seventh, ed.), and in his mind, he's targeting a top-five finish for this Vuelta. If you can aim for that with this field of participants, you must be confident and know you're in good shape."

What now? Maas is likely to take on a more liberated role at Jayco-AlUla. While he's mainly been known as a super-domestique for his team (since joining the WorldTour in 2022) and for riders like Mathieu van der Poel during the World Championships in Glasgow, he's got more up his sleeve. "In our team people are straightforward. We're given a task every day, and it's not about spending 21 stages in Dunbar's shadow. I'm here to support him but also to animate the race in early breakaways. Every now and then I get to take my chance," it sounded a few days ago.

Now that the team has lost its leaders, Maas has the freedom to attack. Particularly because Jayco-AlUla left their real leaders, Simon Yates and Dylan Groenewegen, at home for the Tour of Spain. "There was never any talk about that," Maas said. "I take it one step at a time and have to prove myself with my legs. If the team gives me the opportunity to join an early breakaway and I make it, then it's up to me whether I mess it up or succeed. That's on me and my legs. I just have to do what the team tells me. If they're happy with that, it's good. That's ultimately what I'm getting paid for."

He sounds very down-to-earth, but dig a little deeper and you find that Jan Maas is an extremely ambitious man. Domestique work? If it were up to him, not for the rest of his career. "I've always been someone who seizes opportunities or has seized them in the past, and I know I'm a late bloomer who is still progressing. It's just not happening as quickly as with some others who make a giant leap in a single winter. I've never experienced that, but I keep moving forward step by step, continue to work hard, and always want to be the best version of myself. I'm not overly confident by nature, but I do believe in myself and know what I can and can't do. I can still improve and accomplish great things in the future."

Maas, who still has a contract with Jayco-AlUla until the end of 2024, doesn't have to think long when asked what career path he ideally sees for himself: "I find someone like Geraint Thomas quite unique, how he can transform himself from a general classification rider to a one-day specialist and vice versa. I'm fairly tall, but not heavy for my height. So, I can generate quite some power and be versatile across different terrains. Thomas is a perfect role model in that regard, but someone like Davide Formolo is also special. He is a super-domestique who can tear the peloton apart, leaving you with just ten riders. But that also extends further, meaning he's there when things get tough or when the team leader needs to be shielded from the wind."

We throw the term "super-domestique deluxe" at him. Maas laughs mysteriously, as he actually wants even more. "In my opinion, nothing is impossible, so my dream is to someday become a sort of general classification rider. That can only happen if you keep taking those steps and seize your opportunities. Many more steps are needed, but if you stop dreaming, you might as well take a desk job. If you're a cyclist participating in all these incredible races, you also have to believe that you can bring out the best in yourself in every competition you enter."

The Dutchman is not in a rush. "Whether that happens this year or in five years, it doesn't matter much to me. What I find beautiful is waking up with something in your head that keeps you eager and passionately working on yourself. I'm completely fine with what I'm doing now, but if I were to settle into this role for the next ten years, that would be detrimental to my development. You must always keep dreaming and see opportunities. If I ever end up in the top ten in a stage race in the future, you'll know: he kept dreaming."