Enric Mas (Movistar) has revealed that he is aiming to conquer the Tour de France and Vuelta a España in 2022. But the Spanish stage race specialist has also been candid about how beating Tadej Pogachar (UAE Team Emirates) will be anything but straightforward.

"It's a complicated question," the two-time Vuelta a España winner said when asked how he plans to defeat double Tour de France champion Primoš Roglic (Jumbo Visma)." Just work as hard as possible and work even harder."

Mas, during Movistar's 2022 women's and men's team presentation, the 27-year-old Spaniard also spoke about the importance of a strong early season, just as he did at the beginning of his professional career at Quick Step.

Along with Alejandro Valverde, Mas also noted that he will be the sole leader of the "blue" in the Tour de France lineup for the first time, as Annemiek van Fruten and Emma Norsgaard join Movistar's co-leaders in the video.

"I'm 27, so it's time to go it alone," noted Mas, who finished sixth last year and fifth in the 2020 Tour.

"But let's not forget that Valverde will be with me at the Vuelta a España.

He said his two goals are to be on the podium at the Tour and the Vuelta, "hopefully the highest of them all."

Mass agreed online with several journalists present that he needed to be more aggressive as a racer to achieve that, "It's important to make one big attack, even if it means losing," said former Tour de France winner and Pedro Delgado, co-host of the team presentation, told me bluntly.

But Mas also insisted that "another important thing is to improve the time trial."

On Movistar's women's team, like Mas on the men's team, Dutch star Van Vleuten cited the Tour de France Femme Avec Zwift as her biggest goal for 2022, saying the focus for the second half of the season would be the world championships.

"I'll use La Vuelta (Serratigit Challenge by La Vuelta) as a build-up, but the World Championships is tough and seems like a good course for me," she said.

Van Breuten may be 39 years old, but the former road and double TT world champion is still going strong. Movistar's young prospect, 22-year-old Emma Norsgaard, said she will give the classics, and the Tour, her all.

"Last year was a surprise for me and I don't know if I can win Paris-Roubaix this year. It's a big challenge and I love these races. These races are my favorites."

Meanwhile, the ultra-veteran Valverde repeatedly insisted that 2022 would be his last year, but the former world champion said he was still unsure what his last race of the season would be.

"We don't have to go on anymore, it's the end of one cycle," Valverde said. 'My principle goal for this season is to stay healthy, to not get injured.'

Referring to fans being banned from cheering from the roadside because of the pandemic, he added, "It would be a shame if we had to leave this sport without fans."

Valverde will turn 42 on Liege-Bastogne-Liege day, and one of his main goals for 2022 is to win a fifth title at the tournament. Before he heads to the Vuelta, he will return to the Giro d'Italia for the first time since 2016. Longtime team manager Eusebio Unzué said the majority of Valverde's swan-like season will take place on home roads.

"I hope Valverde enjoys it, and if he wins a stage somewhere, all the better. But the star of the GC in the Giro will be [newcomer] Ivan Sosa." "

Movistar also announced that it will produce the third installment of its very popular documentary series, El Día Menos Pensado, which will look back on the 2021 season.

Much of their success in the 2021 Vuelta was overshadowed by the dramatic defeat of Miguel Angel Lopez near the finish in Santiago de Compostela. How this particular question will be addressed in the documentary will arouse wide interest.

Movistar's men's team will begin the 2022 road season at the Challenge de Mallorca on Wednesday, January 26, while the women's team will open the season at the Vuelta CV Faiminas on Saturday, February 6.