Mas calls for Spanish allies to challenge Roglic; Landa and Rodriguez ready to join forces

The Vuelta a España seems to be slowly but surely leaning in favor of Primoz Roglic, but the organizers may hope for a final push from the home riders. Enric Mas and Mikel Landa put Roglic under pressure again in the sixteenth stage, while Carlos Rodriguez showed improvement in his fight for a top ten position.

Mas has never hidden his ambition to win the Vuelta. The 29-year-old Spaniard from Movistar finished second in 2018, 2021, and 2022, and he could well be heading for another silver in this edition. He is 1 minute and 20 seconds behind Roglic, but he believes that gap is bridgeable. "I felt good and tried several times," Mas told the Spanish media after the stage, referring to his attacks on the penultimate and final climbs.

Those efforts did not result in any time gain, but they did boost his confidence. "I did more work than others, but I eventually got support from competitors as well. Let's see what we can do with the help of others," he says, extending a hand to other riders in the top ten who might also be interested in a battle against Roglic. Think of riders like fourth-placed Richard Carapaz and fifth-placed Landa.

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Landa and Rodriguez announce attacks

The Spaniard from Soudal-Quick Step put his team at the front of the peloton in stage fifteen, and he did so again the day after the second rest day. On the final climb to Lagos de Covadonga, Landa got out of the saddle early but was eventually overtaken. In the standings, however, he is only just over two minutes behind Roglic. "I tried something to see if perhaps a podium contender would crack, but that didn't happen."

That does not diminish Landa's attacking spirit, as he announces that he will try again. "With each passing day, it gets more difficult, but that also means there is less to lose every day." Rodriguez, representing INEOS Grenadiers in seventh place, further from the podium, agrees. However, the climber's legs seem to be getting stronger. "I felt good, even when the favorites already tried on the penultimate climb. My legs are good, and I was close to the best. Hopefully, I'll feel even better in the coming days and can try to attack."