Enric Mas smiled on the Il Lombardia podium next to winner Tadej Pogačar and third-placed Mikel Landa but admitted he was more sad than happy.
Mas was impressive as he attacked Pogačar several times on the Civiglio and Fermo della Battaglia climbs. He took on the Slovenian in the sprint and was a close second at the line. Yet his performance and the second place offered little consolation on a sad day for Spanish cycling.
"It's perhaps a happy day in one way because I managed to arrive second behind Pogi [Tadej Pogačar] in a monument Classic but it's a sad day because it was the last race of Alejandro Valverde," Mas said.
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"He's one of the best riders in the world, but he's stopping, so it's a sad day. Nothing can change that."
Mas can be proud of his performance at Il Lombardia. He was the only rider able to match Pogačar.
"I tried to attack him on the last two climbs and I tried to beat him in the sprint but it just wasn't possible," Mas said.
"In the final, we got away but I knew that Mikel Landa was behind us and so we also had to keep pulling. I was also thinking of the sprint and of how to try to beat Tadej but that's never easy."
Mas will perhaps look back on his end of the season in a more positive light in a few days.
Valverde is done but the quiet-speaking Spaniard proved by finishing second at the Vuelta a España and then second at Il Lombardia that he can fill the leadership role at Movistar.
Mas also showed character by the way he came back from a difficult Tour de France that ended due to COVID-19.
"We had a really bad moment, or rather a few bad months this season," Mas explained.
"I suffered after several big crashes, then there was the Tour de France, where I had Covid too. It was a lot to take and I suppose it was a shit season until then. But after the Tour de France, I had a good rest and then step by step I came back. My season is not shit now."
Mas is now 27. Carlos Rodriguez of Ineos Grenadiers and Juan Ayuso of UAE Team Emirates are developing fast but Mas will go into 2023 as Spain's best rider for the Grand Tour and perhaps now some other Classics.
"Step by step, I'm maturing and improving," he said.
"I'm really happy about that and what this result indicates. I like one-day races more and more. I like Liège-Bastogne-Liège, San Sebastian and Il Lombardia, so I will try to win a Monument in the coming years."
