Spanish newspaper claims Visma was rejected by Enric Mas, but managing director Plugge responds: "¿Que?"

Mas will now stay with the Spanish squad through at least 2029, having joined Movistar in 2020. Since then, he has finished runner-up twice in the Vuelta a España and claimed stage wins in both the Spanish Grand Tour and the Tour of the Basque Country. He also took victory in the Giro dell'Emilia.

According to Marca, Visma | Lease a Bike, which recently extended the contract of Ben Tulett, had shown interest in signing the now 30-year-old Mas. “The Dutch team saw Mas's qualities as a major asset to their leadership group and proposed a plan in which he would lead the team in several races throughout the year,” the Spanish outlet reported.

In the end, Mas chose to extend his stay with his current team. “I’m very grateful for the trust that’s been placed in me for the next four years and honestly, I’m super happy about it. It gives me the motivation to keep growing within this team.”

“When this contract ends, I’ll be 34 and will have spent ten seasons with Movistar,” said Mas. “That’s why I want to thank both Eusebio and Telefónica for their confidence in me. I hope I can repay that trust in a meaningful way. One of my biggest goals, alongside the Tour, is the Vuelta. It still weighs on me that I’ve been on the podium multiple times, and I would love nothing more than to win a Grand Tour for Movistar.”

Richard Plugge has now also responded via X to the rumors that his team has attempted to lure the Spanish climber to the Dutch team. "¿Que?" was his response. Literally translated: "What?" Based on this response, we can assume the rumors have no truth.