Dressed in white and in a corporate style, along with a mustache shadow that seems to be kept to face the World Championship in Canada now, Enric Mas (Artá, Mallorca; 31 years old) begins to digest success. He has just arrived home, a brief stop before the next competition, after conquering the Vuelta, a victory in one of the grand tours, something no other Spaniard had achieved since 2015. Mas takes over from Alberto Contador, Giro d’Italia champion, who also won the Spanish race the previous year. 12 years had to pass for another compatriot to arrive dressed in red at the finish line. From Andorra and in one of the few moments he has to rest, the cyclist speaks to EL PAÍS via videoconference.
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Question. You really caused a stir, didn’t you?
Answer. Yes, it seems so…
Q. Did you treat yourself to anything for winning?
A. No, no. Nothing.
Q. What did you say to your teammates at the dinner after winning the Vuelta?
A. I did say something, but those are a bit more intimate things.
Q. But do you hold on to any moment or conversation within the team?
A. It was 23 days and there were many moments and conversations that were worthwhile, but the idea was to stay very focused and try not to get distracted at any moment. And I think the most important moment was in a meeting inside the bus, where both teammates and directors said they would put aside trying to win stages, because we could do it, as we had great riders, to all row in the same direction. There is a before and after there.
Q. Was that the day you already wore the maillot rojo?
A. I don’t remember well because there were many days, but I would say yes, it probably coincides with that day because that’s when we were a bit more sure that I was well and that we could win the Vuelta. And it had been many years since we won a grand tour. That day, moreover, coincided with the win in Aitana.
Q. Do you think the Simeone tactic, taking it game by game, which you extrapolated to day-to-day, worked well for you?
A. I think yes, it has helped us a lot since we took the maillot rojo.
Q. All teammates gave their all for the cause, but maybe the one who helped you most uphill was Raúl García Pierna, who understood his role and gave his all. Does that explain what kind of person he is?
A. Everyone did a great job. It’s true that the days I could gain time were with Raúl, but before his help, there was a very important prior work by the others. Everyone gave their all for me and, in the end, it was worth it.
Q. Have any tears escaped you?
A. Yes, the truth is yes. With the years it’s harder for me to cry because when I was young it came easier. But now, having assimilated everything, surely a few more will fall.
Q. The first day you put on the maillot rojo, you said you didn’t deserve it because Pogacar had fallen. Do you consider, however, that since then you do deserve it for how you defended it?
A. Yes, I think so, we deserve it. Since the Vuelta started, there was only one complicated day, which was in Andorra, when Tadej put on a show [solo attack 50 km from the finish to take the laurel]. But the other days we were always in our place, always doing well.
Q. What did you think when you put on the maillot rojo for the first time?
A. Well, it was a mix of emotions. The truth is that at first I didn’t accept it much because it had been due to a crash and it’s always hard, but the next morning, at the pre-race meeting, the topic was discussed a bit and at that moment we were the bearers of the maillot, the race leaders, and we had to turn the page. And then you think that since you were little you’ve been waiting all this time to wear a maillot like this. And look, it went well.
Q. More than an authoritarian government by Movistar, it felt like an intelligent one, where they chose the battles they could win. Do you agree?
A. Yes, one hundred percent. The riders contributed their part, but I think the directors have been super good all the time, they kept calm every day, and that made us win.
Q. Did you feel the strongest of all?
A. You don’t think that, but rather that all the pieces fit during the stages. And I repeat, if it hadn’t been for the team, I wouldn’t have won the Vuelta. I was in very good shape, yes, but without them…
Q. But when you climbed and saw you could keep up with Roglic, Gall, Carapaz, Onley… wasn’t that satisfying?
A. It’s a feeling that helps a lot to keep trusting yourself. But you had to go day by day because in a three-week race anything can happen. Thank God, now I can say: I didn’t have a single flat tire during this Vuelta.
Q. You said at the end that you had tough and difficult moments in the race. Which ones?
A. In a 180-kilometer stage, I tell you, not everything goes smoothly, there are moments you have to get through, but thanks to the years we’ve been here, it helped us overcome them.
Q. Do you feel complete?
A. I feel good.
Q. And do you feel a bit relieved because you achieved it after a lot of work?
A. Some time ago, with a friend here in Andorra, we talked and he told me that at least one grand tour had to be won, that he hadn’t done it and that it was a thorn he had. And now I’ve achieved it.
