Roglič is chasing a fifth Vuelta win, which would put him past Roberto Heras as the race's most successful rider; Mas is still hunting his first Grand Tour title after three runner-up finishes here. The numbers favour the chaser — Mas lost over two minutes to Roglič in a 33.8km Vuelta test in 2021, then 1:03 over 30.9km in 2022. But this course has just 188m of climbing, one of the flattest time trials of recent Grand Tours, and Roglič's own preparation was disrupted by a pre-race accident. Mas starts last, four minutes behind Roglič, with the red jersey riding on whether history repeats or the cushion holds.