The man in charge of Movistar did not see this coming. Speaking after Enric Mas sealed the red jersey on Sunday, general manager Eusebio Unzué told Cyclingnews the outcome had caught him off guard as much as anyone else.

“I was surprised as well,” Unzué said.

The 31-year-old Mas finished 2:15 ahead of Primož Roglič and 2:44 clear of Felix Gall in the final overall, sealing his first Grand Tour title after three second places at his home race, in 2018, 2021 and 2022. He wore the leader’s jersey from stage 8, when Tadej Pogačar crashed out of the race.

Castellón was the moment Unzué saw it

For Unzué, the transformation was mental more than physical. Mas had been missing the one thing top riders need, the Movistar boss said, and the Vuelta was where he finally found it.

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“He was missing that thing great riders need to get results: his confidence,” Unzué told Cyclingnews.

He pointed to a specific stage as the point his rider looked different. The summit finish at Castellón, where Mas rode with Pogačar to the line before the Slovenian’s exit, was the pivot.

“It was from that stage to Castellón where Enric already showed his great level, being the only one who could be with Tadej Pogačar and reach the finish with him,” Unzué said.

Movistar had also gambled on the calendar, sending Mas to the Giro d’Italia rather than the Tour de France in the build-up. Unzué credited the plan and, especially, how Mas dealt with the day after Pogačar’s exit and the stage 18 time trial.

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“This morning I told them we’ve lived this experience many years ago and several times, but how sweet this process feels,” Unzué added.

First Spanish Vuelta winner since Contador

The win ends a 12-year wait for a Spanish winner at the country’s home Grand Tour. The previous home victor was Alberto Contador in 2014.

For Movistar it is almost as overdue. The team’s last Grand Tour title came at the 2019 Giro d’Italia with Richard Carapaz, and Grand Tour strategy at the Spanish squad had come under regular criticism in the years since.

Mas said as much when he crossed the line.

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“It’s a fact that the team needed a victory like this. And now we have it,” he said.

The race concluded in Granada on Sunday, 13 September, with Tobias Halland Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility) taking stage 21 from a breakaway that did not disturb the general classification.

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