Vincenzo Nibali warns Enric Mas against making the same mistake he did when dealing with Roglic's mind games

Vincenzo Nibali thinks Enric Mas will win the Vuelta a España, but in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, he also warns about Primož Roglič’s tricks. The former Italian cyclist regularly faced Roglič in his prime, and those encounters didn’t always go well.

The biggest showdown between Nibali and Roglic undoubtedly took place in 2019, at the Giro d'Italia. It was the race in which Richard Carapaz claimed the overall victory, but Nibali and Roglic still seemed stronger. However, they were locked in a fierce battle, which allowed Carapaz to strike a decisive blow.

Nibali ultimately finished second in that Giro, a full minute behind Carapaz. Roglic—who was still riding for Jumbo-Visma at the time—found himself in a tactical battle with Nibali, who was willing to take a loss. “I had already won two Giros; I didn’t need a third at all costs,” he said later.

In the end, Stage 13 of that Giro turned out to be the turning point of the race. Nibali and Roglic seemed set to battle it out between themselves, but Carapaz broke away, and because Nibali took a gamble and let the pace drop completely, he lost 1.19 that day—a decisive blow, as we would later learn.

In the 2026 Vuelta a España, Roglic is still a contender for the overall victory. It would mark his fifth overall victory in the Tour of Spain, but Enric Mas (Movistar) is currently in the lead. And by a wide margin: the gap between Mas and Roglic is 2.10 minutes.

Since Roglic appears to be able to make up time on Mas in the time trial on Stage 18, the mountain stages in the third week could prove decisive. Nibali warns the overall leader not to do the things that Nibali himself did against Roglic in 2019.

"Mas is the favorite. He has a solid lead, is in good shape, and is riding well. He seems reliable and is racing on home turf. He would be a worthy addition to the Vuelta’s Hall of Fame. I’m rooting for him, because he was also the only one who could keep up with Tadej Pogacar.'

Still, Nibali isn’t writing off the experienced Roglic just yet. “He’s a tough guy, in the best sense of the word. He never gives up, and he’ll make up time in the time trial. In the third week, the gap between him and Mas might even out a bit. Felix Gall (currently third, ed.) could also give it his all.”

That would mean we could have three dogs fighting over a bone. Carapaz went for it in 2019; according to Nibali, Mas needs to stay calm now. “I don’t think anyone else is in the running for the overall victory. Carapaz is already 4 minutes behind in fourth place and has the Tour de France under his belt.”