The Sierra de la Pandera has once again confirmed Enric Mas's leadership. The red jersey of the Vuelta a España is no longer just a symbol to defend: day after day, the Movistar rider is transforming his advantage over rivals into a genuine candidacy for the final victory.

The fourteenth stage of the Vuelta a España gave Enric Mas another day as leader. The victory went to Marco Brenner, protagonist of a splendid duel with Santiago Buitrago, but behind them the Spaniard landed another important blow in the battle for the general classification.

On the slopes of the Sierra de la Pandera, Mas waited for the right moment and, once again, demonstrated he has something more than some of his main rivals. Primoz Roglic lost ground in the final, while Felix Gall managed to stay on the Spaniard's wheel. The result is a classification increasingly favorable to the Movistar rider.

At the end of the fourteenth stage, Mas can count on a 2'06" advantage over Felix Gall and 2'10" over Primoz Roglic. A margin that, with several more days of racing ahead, certainly doesn't allow him to lower his guard, but which gives the Spaniard an important dose of confidence.

Mas, however, doesn't want to talk too early about victory. His attention remains focused on the road and especially on his team's work, which also on the Sierra de la Pandera functioned perfectly.

"Yes, the team's strategy was perfect. I believe we acted impeccably: we kept the breakaway at a distance between four and six minutes and we had two men up front. We knew that climb was suited to Felix and also to Primoz; I was confident thanks to my two teammates in the lead, so we tried and in the end it went really well".

Movistar indeed built the stage with great attention. While up front the breakaway was fighting for victory, Mas's team had two riders in the advanced part of the race, a choice that allowed the leader to face the final climb with a favorable tactical situation.

Then, when the race entered the decisive phase, Raul Garcia's moment arrived. His teammate imposed a grueling pace, putting several general classification contenders in difficulty and paving the way for yet another Mas attack.

"I almost got dropped: he came hard from behind, he's a very strong rider and was pushing to the maximum. Fortunately he noticed that Primoz had lost some ground and warned me, so we pushed hard all the way to the finish".

A statement that also tells much about the mentality with which Mas is living this Vuelta. The Spaniard is no longer racing just to follow his rivals: now it's the others who must find a way to make up ground on him.

The big loser of the day was Primoz Roglic. The Slovenian, who on the eve of the Vuelta represented one of the main candidates for final victory, paid the price once again in the finale and is now no longer in second place, sitting 2'10" behind the red jersey.

The difference compared to the early stages is evident. Mas has gained confidence, Movistar is racing with greater conviction and every day that passes without losing ground becomes a small success for the leader.

Felix Gall, meanwhile, confirmed his solidity and moved into second place in the general classification, just four seconds behind Roglic. The Austrian remains the closest rival to Mas, but he too will have to find a way to attack if he wants to turn the gap into a concrete opportunity for victory.

The Vuelta, however, is still long. And Mas knows it perfectly. After years in which the Spaniard was often accused of failing to make the definitive leap in decisive moments, this time the story seems to have changed. The crash and subsequent withdrawal of Tadej Pogacar completely altered the race dynamics, but Mas didn't just inherit the red jersey: he has defended it with authority.

First a stage victory, then consolidation of his leadership and now another advantage gained on the Sierra de la Pandera. Enric Mas is becoming increasingly the master of the Vuelta.