Enric Mas (Movistar Team) begins the final four stages of La Vuelta with 2:06 over Felix Gall (Decathlon CMA CGM) and 2:10 over Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe). Thursday’s 32.1km individual time trial to Jerez de la Frontera will determine whether Mas controls the race or has to chase it through the mountains.
Mas described the course as “quite flat” with few corners in the post-race TV interview with La Vuelta. Asked what would constitute a good result, he said: “We have to be concentrated on the power, the position and that’s it... To keep the Red jersey.”
Route
4 Stages • 529.1km total
| Stage | Date | Route | Distance | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | - | El Puerto de Santa María to Jerez de la Frontera | 32.1 km | Individual time trial |
| 19 | - | Vélez-Málaga to Peñas Blancas, Estepona | 210.8 km | Mountain |
| 20 | - | La Calahorra to Collado del Alguacil | 186.8 km | Mountain |
| 21 | - | Carrefour Granada to Granada | 99.4 km | Hilly circuit |
Jerez will set the size of Mas’s mountain task
Roglič is the strongest time triallist among the GC contenders, and the largely flat course rewards sustained power and an efficient aerodynamic position. Mas must concede less than 2:10 to keep red. He could lose almost 3:10 to Roglič on the stage and still begin Friday within one minute overall.
If Mas manages to hold onto red then it is fair to say that he is the absolute favourite to take it all the way to the finish in Granada on Sunday. If he loses it to Roglič and falls more than a minute behind overall, then Mas’s task of regaining red will be very hard indeed, even with the stronger climbing legs. If Roglič takes red but Mas is within a minute then the race is still very much on for the Spaniard, but Roglič can aim to follow rather than be the aggressor, something that perhaps suits him more than Mas.
Roglič rolls out at 16:51, Gall at 16:53 and Mas at 16:55, allowing Movistar to give its leader direct time checks against both rivals.
Gall’s four-second advantage over Roglič is unlikely to survive an ordinary time trial. His wider concern is the podium: Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) starts 2:18 behind him, while Oscar Onley (Netcompany INEOS) is 3:38 back. While Onley surely isn’t a realistic threat, Carapaz will leave everything out on the road to claim Gall’s podium place. Gall would need to show again that he is the better climber to regain a podium spot. If the Austrian does keep a podium place that will be a major win.
Stage 19 covers 210.8km before the 18.7km climb to Peñas Blancas, which averages 6.5%. Its length gives Mas room to sustain an attack, although the moderate average gradient may allow Roglič to control his losses. Mas will need to use the multiple kickers in the double digits on gradient to escape. Carapaz, who won there in the 2022 Vuelta, could also gain freedom if the leading riders watch one another.
Stage 20 provides greater scope for separation, with over 5,000 metres of climbing. Two passages of El Purche with the Puerto del Duque in between give Movistar opportunities to reduce Roglič’s support before the final 8.3km ascent of Collado del Alguacil at 9.8%. Mas has enough terrain to overturn a small deficit, but recovering more than a minute would require Roglič to crack rather than merely lose contact briefly.
Granada is a final complication rather than a dependable recovery plan. The 99.4km stage ends with four city laps, each containing a 2km climb towards the Alhambra. Any larger deficit must be settled on Collado del Alguacil.
