Despite riders growing ever more exasperated with having to race in extreme heat, the Vuelta a España race organizer is adamant that major changes to the cycling calendar will not be contemplated as a solution to combat excessive temperatures.

Owing to the scorching conditions that have beset the race since it entered Spain’s southernmost mainland province of Andalucía on stage 12, stage 15 of the race on Sunday was shortened by 80km (50 miles), with the riders themselves requesting the change.

But the two-and-a-half hours that riders did race that day were held in mid-afternoon temperatures of 41C (107F), official data from Spain’s national meteorological service (AEMET) showed.

João Almeida, the Portuguese rider who finished second in last year’s Vuelta, told Cyclingnews: “I think the heat is a bit limiting, because we are reaching the limit of the human body, which is a bit dangerous… It’s also day after day: the dehydration and the heat. It’s no joke.”

Matthew Brennan of England, a three-stage winner at this year’s event, made similar comments after the stage: “When I was on the climb at the start, it was 44C (on his bike computer — 111F). At that point, you start thinking, ‘What are we doing?’”

Brennan criticised the UCI, world cycling’s governing body, for not intervening further, saying riders were “slogging away for their sake”.

“That’s the show we put on, but I think it wouldn’t surprise me if there are a few bodies going home in an ambulance tonight with heatstroke,” the 21-year-old added.

However, Javier Guillén, the Vuelta’s race director, has refused to entertain the discussion of changing the race’s date.

This article was published in The Athletic/New York Times during the 2026 Vuelta a España. You can read the full article here.