Without dominant Pogačar to worry about, Mas and Onley approach key Vuelta mountain stages differently: 'Whoever it may be'

Enric Mas and Oscar Onley were the two best climbers in the general classification at the end of the first week, but will they be in the same position in the next mountain stage, Stage 12? The Spanish general classification leader from Movistar and the white young jersey wearer from Netcompany INEOS both hope to come out on top in a thrilling battle.

Mas has been riding with an aura about him in the Vuelta a España since Stage 8. After Tadej Pogačar (UAE Emirates-XRG) dropped out, he took over the red leader’s jersey, and in Stage 9, he immediately won an uphill finish while wearing that jersey. Mas navigated Stages 10 and 11 well by consistently maintaining a good position and marching through the peloton like a leader.

While Mas has often been the victim of such sprint and transition stages with wind and technical finishes in the past, in this Vuelta he suddenly seems ready for the very top. “I have bad memories of the finish at Calar Alto in Stage 12, because last time I was sick there. My masseur, Juan Carlos Lobato, used to be a sprinter, and that day he climbed better than I did. We still joke about it.”

Normally, things would be different. But Mas hopes, just like in Stage 9, to call the shots and keep the red jersey. “The race has changed without Pogacar; we’re all on the same level,” Mas told Spanish journalists. “Tactically, we’re prepared for what’s to come. Tadej could win solo if he wanted to; the rest of us now have to weigh our moves carefully, because we don’t have his legs.”

Onley was the only rider in Stage 9 who could keep up with Mas in the final stretch, and that bodes well for the British rider from INEOS. He’s still wearing the white youth jersey, but his main goal in this Vuelta is to make it onto the podium. He is currently just under a minute away from that goal, with Mas, Primoz Roglic (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe), and Felix Gall (Decathlon CMA CGM) still ahead of him.

Onley also had a strong showing in Stages 10 and 11 and says he’s ready for the next uphill test. “The coming days will be very tough, including the days between the mountain finishes. Those will be days for the breakaway, when a lot of fatigue will build up in the legs. I’m going to try to make up as much time as possible on whoever it may be. I don’t have any specific goals.”