Mas ‘fulfils his destiny’ to win historic Vuelta

Source : ABC NEWS

Enric Mas has finally delivered an expectant Spanish public an overall victory at the Vuelta a España, his win confirmed at the end of the final stage into Grenada on Sunday.

Mas finished safely in the peloton during the 21st and final stage of the race, won by Norway’s Tobias Johannessen.

The 31-year-old from Mallorca held off four-time Vuelta champion Primož Roglič to become the first Spaniard to win the Vuelta since Alberto Contador in 2014.

Mas finished 2 minutes and 15 seconds ahead of Roglič overall, with Austria’s Felix Gall finishing third at 2:44.

“It’s just special,” Mas told reporters after the race.

“It’s been a day to remember, a special Vuelta, and it has been wonderful.

“There’s always tension about what could happen, but you’ve seen it all went smoothly, so we’re delighted and we enjoyed every kilometre today.

“It was a long wait and a long way to today. But to be honest, it was always special Vueltas, and this one I think is the special one.”

Five-time Tour de France winner Tadej Pogačar had come into the race as the overwhelming favourite for victory, building an ominous lead of 3 minutes 50 seconds by the end of the seventh stage.

The freakish Slovenian star had won three of the six completed stages at that stage and looked set to claim a win of unparalleled dominance in the modern era.

However, the two-time reigning world champion badly crashed on the eighth stage of the race, breaking his collar bone and fracturing his neck, ending his season.

From that point though, Mas, who had tested Pogačar on the mountainous fourth stage in Andorra, dominated the race alongside his much-maligned Movistar team.

Mas had finished second at his home grand tour three times, in 2018, 2021 and 2022, and also finished third in 2024.

When he finished second to Simon Yates in 2018, triumphing on the queen stage at that year’s race, there was an expectation that Mas would become the heir to seven-time grand tour winner Contador as Spanish cycling’s next big thing.

Mas even spent his junior years racing with the Alberto Contador Academy, indicating just how high hopes were that he would excel.

And although Mas has achieved plenty, finishing in the top six overall at grand tours eight times over the course of his career, the expected Contador-like dominance never eventuated.

It is telling that long-time AS reporter Juan Gutiérrez entitled his post-Vuelta piece: “Enric Mas cumple su destino”, “Enric Mas fulfils his destiny”.

Contador wrote in Spanish newspaper AS that he was “very happy and incredibly excited” to see Mas achieve his potential.

“I know how hard he’s worked these past few years and how much criticism he’s always faced,” Contador said.

“Instead of letting it get him down, he turned it into motivation to demonstrate the talent he truly possesses.

“Every cyclist develops in their own way and, in Enric’s case, it was fast because he finished second in the 2018 Vuelta a España.

“Then, when he didn’t quite seal the deal, well, we all know how sports are — it seems like if you don’t win, nothing has any merit.

“That’s why cycling will be fair to Enric Mas for winning this Vuelta.”

Contador acknowledged that Pogačar would likely had claimed victory had he remained in the race, but that Mas thoroughly deserved his victory.

Santiago Buitrago of Colombia and Team Bahrain Victorious claimed the king of the mountains jersey, while British rider Oscar Onley won the white youth jersey.

Wout van Aert added some personal closure by claiming the green sprinter’s jersey, and the super combative prize, after he crashed out while leading both the points and king of the mountains classifications in 2024.

“In a way this is finished business,” van Aert said.

“After the near miss two years ago and the big injury I had afterwards, it was quite a disappointment.

“It makes it more special to be here, to come completely to the end, and to wear this beautiful jersey.”