Almeida and Matxin question Vuelta heat plan: 'Reaching the limit of the human body'

It has been extremely hot in the Vuelta a España over the past few days. The heat literally reached a peak during the stage to Córdoba, where the organisers decided to shorten the stage due to the high temperatures. But was that enough? At UAE Team Emirates-XRG, they aren’t exactly happy with how things went.

The fifteenth stage to Córdoba was significantly shortened, leaving the riders with a 110-kilometer stage to complete. Wout van Aert (Visma | Lease a Bike) won the stage, but other riders decided to take it as easy as possible. João Almeida, like his teammates, struggled considerably in the heat and spoke with Cyclingnews about the conditions before the stage.

"I think we're starting to reach the limits of the human body, and that's dangerous. It's not easy to explain, but part of the preparation involves doing heat acclimatization training so you can ride in these conditions. You ride at a steady pace—it’s no problem—and you drink enough water to stay hydrated. But racing isn’t easy for us; it’s different, and that’s why it can definitely be dangerous. We have to look out for each other.”

Almeida is from Portugal, so he’s used to extreme temperatures, but he actually has a hard time dealing with them during races. “It’s hard for me, and it really affects me. I think it’s the same for everyone, but some guys handle it better than others. And it’s one of those things where you really can’t afford to make any mistakes, or else you’re in big trouble.”

Team director Joxean “Matxin” Fernandez was also critical of the conditions. “It’s often hard to gauge how hot it is on TV, but when you’re here, you really realise what it’s like,” he told Eurosport. “Riding a stage under these conditions can cause serious problems. We’ve already seen riders drop out due to heatstroke, and two days ago we also lost Pavel Sivakov because of the heat.”

The Spaniard had hoped for more drastic measures and is disappointed in the organization. “In many cases, these can be dangerous situations. There is a heat protocol, and I think the organization made the right decision by shortening the stage. But why don’t we also consider a different schedule? I know that might not be ideal for television, but if it’s 42, 46, or even 50 degrees, why shouldn’t we look for an alternative time?”

Because shortening the race wasn't just beneficial—it also came with an unforeseen drawback. “Starting and racing at 3:00 p.m., when the heat is at its peak, doesn’t really help with the heat protocol either,” Matxin explains. “So I’d like to suggest that idea as well. Television will probably have to adapt to these situations, too.”