Mas is deeply shaken after a serious diagnosis: “Perhaps the team doctors are more accustomed to this, but we are not.”

There, he watched teammate Pablo Castrillo finish sixth on stage 6, though Mas would much rather have been racing himself. “It’s tough. I’ve known for a while that I wouldn’t be at the Vuelta, so I’m trying to deal with it as best I can,” he told AS. “But it’s not easy to stay positive. It’s really hard not being able to ride because of injury, but I have to accept it.”

Mas was involved in a major crash near the Mur-de-Bretagne during the Tour but managed to continue racing for some time. Eventually, he had to abandon during stage 18. His condition worsened afterward, and even as he tried training toward the Vuelta, the issues persisted. The eventual diagnosis was an inflammation of the veins, forcing him to end his season early. “It doesn’t really hurt,” he added. “But I’ve stopped riding and training completely.”

Pain or not, this is one of the toughest periods in the career of Enric Mas, a four-time podium finisher at the Vuelta a España. In fact, he admits he would have preferred a more traditional injury. “It’s more frightening because we’re used to muscle or bone injuries, and in this case, it’s… let’s say, venous,” Mas explained. “Maybe the team doctors are used to it, but we’re not.”

The recovery won’t be quick. When Mas will return to racing remains uncertain. “It really depends on the timeline they give me,” he said. “In a few weeks, I’ll have a follow-up and then surgery. Only then can we determine a timeframe to start again. A week more or less doesn’t matter right now, but I’d like to know which month I’ll be able to start preparing. I don’t know if I’ll race again in January, February, March, or April… it all depends on how I recover. It’s tough.”