AND IT’S FOUR ALREADY. Mallorca’s Lluís Mas remains a WorldTour rider in 2022, the Spaniard alwaysan example of commitment and consistency, as well as excellent behavious towards team-mates and rivals. In 2021, the man from Ses Salines got back to a brilliant level of individual performances, coming twice close (3rd) to stage wins in the Volta a Portugal and taking 6th in the Spanish ITT Champs. He was even more solid at the Northern Classics, usually the most consistent from the Telefónica-backed squad. It’s days like those – the most demanding ones – where he does best.

SAFEGUARD AND SACRIFICE. Mas excels at protecting the team’s main leaders at the toughest days of wind, bad weather and high speeds, also adding strength to the TTT (and ITT) lineups that often play a crucial factor in Grand Tour success. A real powerhouse, a very courageous rider with amazing physical skills, his commitment will surely help the Blues at stages flat or even mountainous, as shown last year.

SEASONED AND CONSISTENT. Aged 32, he’s got already thirteen (!) years of professional experience under his belt, between Burgos (5 years), Caja Rural (another five) and the Movistar Team. Called up for the 2015, 2017 and 2021 World road race Championships, as well as 7th-placed in his first ITT Worlds appearance (Copenhagen, 2011, under-23) and present with Spain at Flanders’ Mixed Relay TTT, Mas has one UCI stage victory to his name in the 2015 Tour of Turkey, where he derailed the trains leading up to a sprint finish in Istanbul with a powerful attack, which saw him outclassing the likes of Mark Cavendish and Alessandro Petacchi.