Enric Mas set to win Vuelta after protecting lead on penultimate stage

COLLADO DE ALGUACIL, Spain (AP) — Enric Mas is set to finally win the Vuelta a Espana after defending his lead in the mountains of the penultimate stage on Saturday.

The Spaniard, who has finished second overall three times in his home race, added to his already comfortable advantage over Primoz Roglic over the five categorized climbs. Mas now leads Roglic, a four-time Vuelta winner, by 2 minutes, 15 seconds.

“I have never felt like this before,” the soft-spoken Mas said when asked about how he felt being so close to the elusive Vuelta title.

“To be honest, I spent all day just counting down the kilometers. But my team again did a super good job. So all the thanks to them,.”

Mas, the Movistar leader, and Roglic are poised to stand on the winner’s podium, with Félix Gall in third, after the final stage on Sunday, a 112-kilometer (69-mile) flat stage finishing in the medieval city of Granada. Cycling custom dictates the riders respect the leader’s advantage on the final day of the grand tour.

Mas’ victory will mark the greatest grand tour achievement for a Spanish cyclist since Alberto Contador won the Giro d’Italia in 2015. Contador was also the last Spaniard to win the Vuelta in 2014.

Mikel Landa won Saturday’s grueling 186-kilometer (115-mile) stage in 4 hours, 58 minutes. The veteran Spaniard showed he still has his climbing skills over the trio of category-one climbs before an ascent to the finish atop the beyond-category Collado de Alguacil summit.

It was a first stage win at a grand tour for the 36-year-old Landa since the 2020 Tour de France.

Mas crossed almost seven minutes later, with Roglic following behind. Mas appeared as happy for Landa as he was for his title-clinching day, which combined gave the home fans a lot to cheer about.

“Spanish cycling needs this,” Mas said. “We don’t win much, so we need to enjoy these victories.”

Earlier in their careers, Mas and Landa were tapped by Spanish cycling fans to take over as the nation’s cycling stars following Spain’s generation of winners that came to an end with the retirement of Contador, Alejandro Valverde and Joaquim Rodríguez.

In Mas’ case, while being a great climber, he earned a reputation for lacking punch as well as being vulnerable in time trialing, weaknesses that saw him finish the Vuelta as runner-up in 2018, 2021, and 2022.

He entered this race as an outside title hopeful, well behind Tadej Pogacar and Roglic. But Mas never flinched once he inherited the red jersey after five-time Tour de France champion Pogacar crashed out in the eighth stage.

Mas fended off all of Roglic’s challenges to build a big enough lead and protect it in the time trial on Thursday.

Mas also handled the other main threat: The scorching heat with temperatures regularly hitting 38 degrees (100 F) on the sun-baked country roads of southern Spain.

Now, at 31 years old, and when many had thought his best shot at a title was behind him, Mas is set to finally be a champion.

His plans after finishing in Granada?

“First, I want to see my team, my family, my friends, and just give everyone a hug,” he said.

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