Enric Mas

This is the page about Enric Mas, a Spanish cyclist from Team Movistar. He is Spain's leading general classification rider and hopes to fill the gap left by Alberto Contador, Alejandro Valverde, and others. IDLProCycling.com keeps a close eye on all news related to Mas, along with maintaining a biography of his career.

Mas breaks through under team leader Lefevere

Like many young riders, Enric Mas made his breakthrough under Patrick Lefevere. As a 23-year-old climber, Mas entered the Vuelta in 2018, riding for Quick-Step Floors. He was given a free role on the team, which he eagerly embraced. It wasn't until the end of the second week that he started to make his mark, with a seventh-place finish on Les Praeres. He managed to position himself in the top ten of the general classification.

The best was yet to come. The young rider had a very strong third week, amassing top ten finishes. He placed sixth in the time trial and in two mountain stages, suddenly contending for the podium. In the final mountain stage to Andorra. Collada de la Gallina, he surprised everyone by beating Miguel Ángel López and winning the stage. He finished second in the overall classification, just behind Simon Yates.

Mas and López’s share leadership role

After a solid 2019, where he made his Tour de France debut without much success, Mas moved to Movistar Team. There, he aimed to fight for top positions in the grand tours alongside Valverde. In 2020, this was immediately successful, with a fifth place in both the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España.

2021 was even more successful for the rider from the Balearic Islands. After finishing sixth in the Tour de France, he hoped to reach the podium again in the Vuelta. Sharing the leadership role with López, they tried to outdo Primož Roglič and Egan Bernal. Roglič proved unbeatable, but the Movistar duo seemed poised to both ascend the podium. That was until the twentieth stage, the bizarre ride to Mos. Castro de Herville.

López and Mas alternately attacked to put INEOS Grenadiers and others on the back foot, but in the end it was López who got tricked! The Colombian lost his cool and became so enraged that he withdrew from the Vuelta. Mas finished second in the Spanish grand tour, but his performance was somewhat overshadowed by that peculiar incident.

Descent anxiety overshadows his 2022, but Mas rebounds in Vuelta

In 2022, Mas repeated the Tour/Vuelta double. The French grand tour went poorly for the Spaniard, with a fear of descending preventing him from being competitive. He ultimately left the Tour after eighteen days. Heading into the Vuelta, it was uncertain if he could perform... and perform he did. It quickly became clear that the Movistar leader was one of the closest challengers to eventual winner Remco Evenepoel. Mas finished second after a solid, consistent race. While there were no standout moments, his confidence returned. Turning 28 in January 2023, Mas hoped to again reach the podium in a grand tour... and secretly even aspired to win.

Mas sees 2023 Tour dreams dashed from day one due to severe crash

In 2023, Mas sought redemption in La Grande Boucle. The 28-year-old Spaniard stuck to his traditional preparation: Tirreno-Adriatico, Tour of the Basque Country, and the Critérium du Dauphiné. He finished in the top six in the first two stage races, but the final rehearsal for the Tour went less well with a seventeenth place. Nonetheless, Mas started the Tour with confidence, supported by the entire Movistar team aiming for a podium finish in Paris, but disaster struck in the first stage. On the descent of the Côte de Vivero, Mas and his rival Richard Carapaz crashed hard in a turn, resulting in Mas having to withdraw with a broken shoulder after an examination.

After a failed Tour came the Vuelta once again. The Spanish cycling tour attracted big names like Primoz Roglic, Jonas Vingegaard, Sepp Kuss, Remco Evenepoel, and his Spanish compatriots Mikel Landa and Juan Ayuso, yet Mas still managed a respectable sixth place. In the one-day races, Mas finished once in the top five. He came fourth in the Giro dell' Emilia behind Tadej Pogacar, Roglic, and Simon Yates. In 2024, Mas will continue to wear the blue shirt of Movistar, but he'll see the return of Nairo Quintana as a competitor within the Spanish WorldTour team.