Enric Mas temporarily steps down as peloton's spokesperson during heat talks at the Vuelta; Steven Kruijswijk replaces him

Heat has been the main topic of conversation at the Vuelta a España for days now. Sunday's stage 15, which finished in Córdoba, one of the hottest places in Europe, was shortened to 110 kilometers. As the race heads into the final week, which will be held entirely in southern Spain, further changes may still be made due to the heat.

Matthew Brennan may be one of the youngest riders in the race, but he put it aptly on Sunday in Córdoba after the stage won by his teammate Van Aert. “Regular people with office jobs have their air conditioning set to 20 degrees, and I think the people at the UCI office do too,” said the 21-year-old Brit. “

"It's no fun working ourselves to the bone for them here. But we do it. The show must go on, but I wouldn't be surprised if several people end up in the hospital tonight by ambulance with heatstroke," he sighed.

UAE team director Joxean “Matxin” Fernandez also had reservations about the change, which was decided in consultation between the Vuelta organizers and the CPA representatives from the peloton.

Those representatives were Hugo Houle (Alpecin-Premier Tech), Jacopo Mosca (Lidl-Trek), and Enric Mas (Movistar), but Houle has since withdrawn from the race, and Mas—as the red jersey wearer—is said to have stepped back from the CPA due to potential conflicts of interest.

AS reports that Steven Kruijswijk (Visma | Lease a Bike) has taken Mas’s place and that Michael Gogl has replaced his teammate Houle as the CPA representative.

Over the next few days, they will also participate in meetings regarding possible adjustments to the final week, which will be held through Granada in southern Spain. Tuesday and Wednesday, in particular, are expected to be hot.

Matxin suggests that perhaps a little more consideration could be given to the riders’ well-being, especially when it comes to the stage times. “We lost Pavel Sivakov to heatstroke, which is a truly dangerous situation. Shortening the stage is a good decision, but… why not come up with a different schedule?”

"I know it could hurt television revenue, but it's an alternative on a day when temperatures sometimes reached 46°C. Starting at 3:00 p.m., when it's hottest, doesn't really help with the heat protocol, in my opinion," said the Spaniard.