Enric Mas Earns Victory in Giro di Emilia 2022 Duel
Spanish rider Enric Mas of Movistar stepped into the spotlight at the 106th Giro di Emilia this Saturday. The race served as a demanding tune‑up for the October memorial race, with Mas taking on a field that included Tadej Pogacar, the two‑time Tour de France winner, and veteran Alejandro Valverde, who would finish in the top four as he neared the end of his storied career.
The Emilia Memorial, a prestigious 198.7 kilometer course that winds through Ca’ Bortolami and Medelana before the decisive final climbs near San Luca, drew attention to Valverde as a major contender. Pogacar was viewed as a principal threat to claim the podium, while Mas emerged as the strongest challenger in a race that combined high speed with relentless climbing.
Mas challenged the towering hills around the San Luca climb, a 2.2 kilometer ascent that tests the legs in the closing stages. In a final circuit that began about forty kilometers from the finish, Mas pressed the tempo against the elite climbers, signaling his intent to contest the victory until the very end.
The race started with a calm tempo but quickly grew into a high‑speed affair, propelled by a peloton riding at roughly 47 km/h. The early break featured Geoffrey Bouchard, Rick Pluimers, Johan Meens, Jacopo Guarnieri, and Kobe Goossens, with the leaders’ group eventually connecting to form a larger pack that navigated the day’s hills and final climbs.
The late stages saw the peloton trimming down the breakaway, reducing a gap that had briefly stretched to three minutes. Goossens led at the front for a time, but the chase group closed the gap, and the race entered the critical phase with UAE Team Emirates and Movistar steering the tempo.
As the terrain intensified, Italian rider Formolo surged to the front, catalyzing a split that left a compact group chasing a select few riders. Julian Alaphilippe found himself out of contention as the race converged on its decisive stretch, with Pogacar and Mas trading attacks as the finish line approached.
With under 2 kilometers to go, Mas launched a final, decisive attack. He rode with efficiency and kept the pace steady as Pogacar attempted to respond. A seven‑rider finale formed, including Valverde who kept contact but could not negate the momentum built by Mas and the others in the leading pack.
As the kilometers ticked down, the front group narrowed to three contenders. Exhaustion set in after repeated climbs reaching steep gradients, but Mas found an opportunity to surge once more. He crossed the line in commanding fashion, taking control of the race and delivering a victory that highlighted his climbing strength and strategic acuity on Italian roads.
Mas finished the Giro di Emilia in a time just under five hours, a landmark result that highlighted his ability to overcome a field stacked with GC contenders. Pogacar crossed 13 seconds later, while Pozzovivo claimed third and Valverde finished fourth, marking a fitting yet bittersweet podium for a veteran rider closing a long competitive chapter.
The race served as a meaningful precursor to the Lombardy memorial, often viewed as a barometer for form ahead of the autumn classics. In the end, Mas secured a victory that underscored his status among the continent’s best climbers and reinforced Movistar’s tactical depth in one of Italy’s most respected one‑day events.