'We don't know if he was racing at 100%' - A rival raises doubts after Pogačar failed to solo stage 6 of the Vuelta

Seeing Tadej Pogačar caught by another rider after one of his signature solo attacks is such a rare sight that it doesn't go unnoticed by the rest of the peloton. It happened on stage 6 of the Vuelta a España, and the incident immediately sparked interest among the cycling world.

Although Enric Mas (Movistar) , the rider who overtook the Slovenian on the dirt ramps of Puerto de El Bartolo, urged everyone not to give too much importance to the incident, it's natural that his rivals are curious to see if it has more lasting implications for the rest of the race. A detail not to be underestimated by those who manage fantasy cycling teams: every chink, however small, in Pogačar's armor deserves attention.

Leading the overall standings since the first stage, Pogačar had already put on a veritable show of climbing power in Andorra, building a lead of over three minutes, a resounding and virtually unseen margin at this point in the race. And although on stage 6 there was the dramatic recapture of Mas, as well as a nasty scare on the El Bartolo descent where he nearly crashed, the Slovenian still won and also extended his lead over all his rivals in the standings, thanks to the four-second time bonus he gained at the finish line at the expense of Mas. All in all, it was anything but a bad day for the UAE Team Emirates-XRG phenomenon.

However, as Netcompany Ineos' sports director, Imanol Erviti, told Cyclingnews , while Pogačar's victory reveals a lot about his condition, being caught by Mas nonetheless raises some questions and shows, for once, a more human side to a rider who almost always rides on a different planet than everyone else. For those who play fantasy cycling, it's a sign to monitor carefully in the upcoming stages.

Today's uphill finish in Aramón Valdelinares, a little-known 9.8-kilometer Category 1 climb not ridden since 2014, will be an interesting test. It will also be a test for Netcompany Ineos captain Oscar Onley , who suffered cramps and lost ground on stage 6, though he remains in contention for the overall standings in seventh place, with a slim lead in the young riders' classification.

"I don't know, it's difficult to interpret what happened to Tadej today; we don't know if he was racing at 100%," Erviti told Cyclingnews . "But we'll find out in the next few days."

"It's good if we see that Tadej can be a little more humane, too, we can start thinking about some more scenarios. For some riders, it will be positive for the competition."

"It's surprising, because we're not used to seeing him struggle. But we say it, and he still wins today."