Heat is battering the Vuelta peloton and leader Mas has concerns: 'We can't take any unnecessary risks'

Enric Mas can mark off another day of the Vuelta a España as the wearer of the red leader’s jersey. On Saturday, he faces another challenge heading toward the Sierra de la Pandera, though the Mallorcan, like just about every other rider, is also struggling with the sweltering conditions in this edition of the Vuelta a España.

Mas and his Movistar team were put under pressure by Mattias Skjelmose, who managed to sneak into the early breakaway. Although the race leader himself saw things differently. “It actually worked out very well for us that he was there, because we really only had one man to lead out the breakaway. The other teams ended up coming to our aid.”

EF, INEOS, and Decathlon, among others, lent a hand, which meant that Skjelmose ultimately managed to gain “only” 2 minutes. “It was mostly about enjoying wearing the red jersey and the fact that we have the chance to win the Vuelta as one of the favorites. That’s probably how we’ll approach it again tomorrow,” he says.

There’s also a lot of talk within the peloton about the heat: on Friday, it was 38 degrees Celsius in Loja, the finish town, and temperatures are set to rise even further in the coming days. What does the red jersey wearer think about that? “Ultimately, we have to consider everyone’s well-being.”

"When it gets extremely hot, it makes sense that we all need to sit down together: the organisers, the UCI, the riders' union CPA—everyone. We can't take any unnecessary risks, because it can simply be dangerous," said Mas, who is well aware of the reason for the high temperatures. “Well… as I said: we’re in Andalusia, in the middle of summer. Of course, you could expect this.”