Spanish rider Enric Mas shines brighter and brighter and, as a leader found almost by chance after Pogacar's withdrawal, is now determined to defend the red jersey all the way to Granada.

For the thirty-one-year-old from Artà, the red jersey is now a real objective: "It gives me more motivation than peace of mind". For a few days he wore it almost with embarrassment, as if that red jersey wasn't really his. Enric Mas had chosen not to wear it after Tadej Pogacar's withdrawal at the end of the eighth stage, because at that moment the Vuelta had just lost one of its most anticipated protagonists and the Spaniard didn't want to transform a sporting tragedy into a personal celebration.

Now, however, the story has changed. After the twelfth stage, with the uphill finish at Calar Alto, Mas demonstrated once again his desire to reach Granada wearing the leader's jersey. Not only because the standings allow it, but because his Movistar team has now assumed the role of the team to beat and the Spaniard seems to have found within himself the conviction necessary to defend his position.

Pogacar left the scene after the crash that forced him to abandon the race. Mas suddenly found himself ahead of everyone. A situation that could have created pressure, doubts and responsibility. Instead, day after day, the Spanish rider is responding with a confidence that perhaps he had never shown with such consistency.

Yesterday too, on the stage towards Calar Alto, Movistar raced with a precise plan. No improvisation, no fear of having to control the race. The team worked from the first to the last kilometer, protecting Mas and managing their energy in the best way possible.

"During the race we stuck to our initial plan, and it went exactly as we said on the bus. I think that everyone on the team, watching the stage on TV, could see the fantastic work we did, from the first to the last rider. I just want to thank them because we are a great team".

Words that tell the story of Movistar's moment well. The weight of the red jersey is not only on Mas's shoulders: it has become an objective shared by the entire team. And precisely for this reason, when he was asked if he had felt the lack of an extra climber on the mountain, considering Pogacar's absence, Mas answered without hesitation.

"Certainly I could have been worried if there had been that extra climber on the mountain, but today the team was fantastic. Nobody stepped forward," Mas said, thinking of the Slovenian's absence.

Pogacar is no longer in the Vuelta, but his presence continues to weigh on the narrative of the race. Mas knows this well and doesn't hide how much of a shame it is not to have him by his side in the battle for the general classification.

"It's true that it's a shame not to have him here. As you know, he's an extremely strong rider, and because of cycling circumstances, because of a crash, we can't have him".

But cycling doesn't wait for anyone. And Mas, together with Movistar, had to quickly change perspective.

"We had to split up during the stage, and I think we did an excellent job".

The result achieved at Calar Alto confirmed that the team is heading in the right direction. And when asked if it was what he expected, Mas answered with the calm of someone who is now beginning to truly believe in the possibility of finishing as leader.

"Well, I think it was pretty much the result we wanted".

The standings now also offer him a margin that could be precious in the coming stages. Not enough to allow himself to relax, but sufficient to look to the future with greater confidence.

"This advantage certainly doesn't give me peace of mind. Obviously you can't completely relax, but it gives me more motivation than peace of mind. It's something extremely positive".

It's a phrase that tells the story of the new Enric Mas. The leader of the Vuelta doesn't simply want to manage an advantage: he wants to exploit it to continue pushing, to race at the front, to defend that jersey that he now feels increasingly his own.

"I think that if the team reacts, I have to react too, and so far we're doing it, so let's enjoy it".

It's perhaps the most important question. Because Mas, since he found himself at the head of the Vuelta, seems to have something different. Not only in his legs, but especially in his head. Over the years the Spaniard has often shown the talent necessary to aim for the general classification of a Grand Tour. He has achieved podiums at the Vuelta, has gone through moments of great brilliance and others of difficulty. But this time there seems to be a different awareness.

The red jersey is no longer something to protect with fear. It has become something to defend with pride. "I'm starting to believe because so far it's been clear what the road has told us".

Few words, but important ones.

Mas is truly starting to believe. And as Granada approaches, the Vuelta takes on a new face. Pogacar is no longer here, the race has become more open and the Spaniard has found himself at the center of the stage.

Before he hadn't wanted to celebrate that jersey, almost out of respect for the Slovenian champion and for the circumstances that had brought him to the lead. Now, instead, Enric Mas has a precise objective: to keep it.

His opponents are still many and the Vuelta still has mountains, kilometers and obstacles to face. But Movistar has proven to be ready to do its part. And Mas, finally, seems ready for the most important podium.