With temperatures exceeding 40 degrees, the roads transformed into a furnace and the riders paid the price. The fifteenth stage of the Vuelta a España, finishing in Córdoba, yesterday put the entire peloton to the test and also Matthew Brennan, the absolute protagonist of this edition of the race with three stage victories already secured. A day in which the heat became one of the most difficult adversaries to face, so much so that the organizers, already the day before, decided to reduce the distance of the stage to protect the riders' health.

The young British rider from Visma-Lease a Bike described without mincing words what it means to pedal for hours in such conditions. A temperature that, at certain moments, exceeded well over 40 degrees and transformed even a normal cycling stage into an extreme endurance test.

«Well, I wouldn't do it again. Yes, I mean, the average here is 41 degrees, so it's not a nice average. Probably, when I tackled the climb at the beginning, there were 44 degrees. And at that point you start thinking: but what are we doing?».

Brennan describes a sensation common to many riders: that of wondering what the limit is beyond which sporting competition risks becoming something completely different.

«A person working in an office wants the temperature set at 20 degrees or thereabouts, and I'm sure that in the UCI offices they keep it at 20 degrees too. So, while we're here struggling for them, well, it's not the best, but we do it and we continue to provide the spectacle».

Important words, spoken by a rider who, despite his young age, has already learned to know very well the sacrifices required by professional cycling. Heat, however, represents a different risk from simple muscle fatigue: dehydration and heat stroke can have serious consequences.

«But I wouldn't have been surprised if tonight someone last night had gone home in an ambulance due to heat stroke».

After such a difficult day, the calendar now offers the riders a precious break. Today is indeed the rest day, the last one before the final part of the Vuelta, which will end next Sunday in Granada.

For Brennan there is no doubt about how to spend these hours away from the bike. The plan is simple and, above all, involves no effort. «On the rest day I'll do what I do best: nothing. I can't wait. I'll simply stay in bed sleeping and then, the next day, I'll think about a plan».

A response perfectly in line with the need to recover after two weeks of racing, especially considering how much Brennan has been a protagonist. The British rider has already secured three victories and together with Wout van Aert has transformed Visma-Lease a Bike into the reference team for sprints and stages suited to fast men.

Visma's record after fifteen stages is impressive: five stage victories, three signed by Brennan and two by Van Aert, who also wears the points classification jersey. The Dutch team is therefore the one that has won the most stages in this Vuelta and, despite the fatigue, shows no intention of stopping.

Brennan confirms this with calm, also leaving a statement that could become a promise for the final week.

«We are very motivated by what we're doing. What stage are we at? The 15th? Yes, so far we've secured a third of the victories. Why not aim for a few more? Why not reach... I don't know, six or seven victories?».

Then comes also the awareness that those words could be picked up and transformed into an official objective. «Someone will certainly cut out this statement, right? We'll see what we can do in the coming days but we'll certainly continue to push hard».

The math, after all, proves the young British rider right. With five victories already secured out of fifteen stages, Visma has brought home exactly one third of the available successes. Reaching six or seven would mean closing an extraordinary Vuelta from the point of view of the team's performance.

After the rest, the race will restart tomorrow and there will still be room for new opportunities, with two days dedicated to the fast wheels. Brennan will probably have other chances, as will Van Aert, while the team will continue to work to protect its men and try to increase a haul that is already extraordinary.

But before thinking about the next victory, Brennan simply wants to recover. After pedaling under a merciless sun, the desire is to sleep, rest and forget the bike for a few hours. Then it will be back to racing. And Visma-Lease a Bike, strong with its five victories and the green jersey on Van Aert's shoulders, will try to make even more memorable a Vuelta in which Matthew Brennan has already become one of the great protagonists.