Zonneveld doesn’t understand race tactics Mas: “Then cycling isn’t fun anymore”

Jhonatan Narváez won his third Giro stage in 11 days, showcasing his dominance in breakaway stages, but he didn’t have a particularly tough time doing it — largely because of how fellow escapee Enric Mas rode. Mas’s approach puzzled fans and analysts alike. Among them was Dutch cycling writer Thijs Zonneveld, who could hardly keep a straight face when discussing the Spaniard’s tactics.

Mas launched an acceleration on the final climb that dropped everyone except Narváez. Yet, despite knowing Narváez had the stronger finishing sprint, the Spaniard did a lot of hard work at the front and set up a two‑man sprint — a move that, in hindsight, looked like a lost cause. “This is a beautiful demonstration of how not to ride a finale, from Enric Mas,” Zonneveld said on his podcast In de Waaier.

At 31 years old, Mas is in his tenth season as a professional but has only six career victories — a relatively modest total given his long tenure and capabilities. “He’s a great rider, without question,” Zonneveld continued, “but perhaps he’s not at the level he once was. Maybe he’s lost a bit of sharpness, and his long stint at Movistar didn’t help.”

That lack of specific experience in winning proved to be his undoing against the cunning Narváez. “He's not a rider who knows how to handle finishes without a massive climb in the final stretch. And now he's up against Narváez, who can do just that. He has an innate killer instinct. He wins all kinds of races—a guy who has both a sharp sprint and is a strong climber. It's the worst possible rider he could have broken away with.”

So was it a lost cause? Zonneveld thinks Mas went about it completely the wrong way. “He gives up the moment he hits the final climb. He sees that Narváez is still on his wheel, and that’s it. He makes a half-hearted attempt to shake him off on a flat section: it was pitiful. Narváez initially thought he was just taking over. Then Mas just rode for second place. That’s when cycling just isn’t fun anymore.'

Just behind Mas and Narváez, Diego Ulissi, Aleksandr Vlasov, and Chris Harper were battling for third place. According to the Dutch analyst, that was the key. If he hadn’t taken over, that trio might have been able to come back. And more competition meant more opportunities for the Spaniard.

Zonneveld explains. ‘If you’re in a group of five, you can find a moment where you might still be able to break away. If you’re going at a kilometer, it’s not pleasant for someone to catch you. If Narváez and Ulissi think to each other, “You go ahead,” then you have a chance. It’s not a big chance, but it’s greater than zero. He just gave himself zero percent chance.’