Just like the ocean, don't turn your back on the Vuelta
It will eventually smack you in the face with the drama and drag you back in. Some of the more wacky stuff that unfolded in the first one and a half-ish weeks alone included the race chopper spotting a garden-top 'crop' within the final kilometre of Stage 8:
A leaking paddling pool wiped out whole teams on Stage 1:
And on the biblically inclement ninth stage, when the sole survivor of the day's break Marc Soler was ordered back by Movistar to help Nairo Quintana into the red jersey, he made his rancour known:
So why fight it? Lean into your FOMO - stay up, go to work tired on Friday and Monday, sleep during the days on the weekend.
The next five stages: hilly, mountains, flat, mountains, mountains
Stage 12 - Thursday 5 September
11pm AEST
SBS Viceland streaming to Cycling Central / SBS OnDemand
Stage 12 Vuelta a España (Supplied) Source: Supplied
The guidebook says tonight's stage is hilly, but those three Category 3 bumps smack bang in the final 30km will entice a breakaway you can cheer all the way. Look for a few riders to hone their world championship form on these rollers.
Stage 13 - Friday 6 September
11pm AEST
SBS Viceland streaming to Cycling Central / SBS OnDemand
Stage 13 Vuelta a España (Supplied) Source: Supplied
Friday night, seven categorised climbs, the final summit finish a hors categorie climb. What more do you want?
Stage 14 - Saturday 7 September
11pm AEST
SBS Viceland streaming to Cycling Central / SBS OnDemand
Stage 14 Vuelta a España (Supplied) Source: Supplied
Only a handful of sprint stages at this year's race and the fast men should clear the final categorised climb before speeding things up.
So enjoy the speedsters and travelling along Spain's northern coastline without leaving your couch.
Stage 15 - Sunday 8 September
8.45pm AEST - streaming to Cycling Central / SBS OnDemand
10.20pm AEST - SBS Viceland and streaming to Cycling Central / SBS OnDemand
Stage 15 Vuelta a España (Supplied) Source: Supplied
This one looks eye-watering! Today's stage takes the peloton to the Santuario de Nuestra Señora del Acebo a church built in 1590 around a supposed miraculous image of the Virgin Mary. Which riders will be after their own miracle?
Watch the stage from the start by streaming via our site or SBS On Demand before we also switch over to SBS Viceland from 10.20pm AEST.
Stage 16 - Monday 9 September
9.15pm AEST - streaming to Cycling Central / SBS OnDemand
10.40pm AEST - SBS Viceland and streaming to Cycling Central / SBS OnDemand
Stage 16 Vuelta a España Source: Supplied
Last hit-out before the rest day. Expect fireworks especially on the final, 17.8km 6.2 per cent gradient Alto de la Cubilla. Lena.
Roglic's lead appears unassailable...but it's the Vuelta baby!
The Slovenian destroyed his rivals with the test against the clock in Pau and now three minutes and five seconds separate the top five.
Time to stop watching? No way! Have you learned nothing yet? Anything can and probably will happen.
Sure, Roglic has a strong team in Jumbo-Visma and could hang tough as we go heavenward. But over his time advantage, some tough days loom. And so does the two-pronged Movistar fork of geriatric wunderkind Alejandro Valverde (second overall: +1:52) and Nairo Quintana (fourth overall: +3:00) with Astana's Miguel Angel Lopez sandwiched in between (+2:11). It ain't over til it's over.
And besides, if Roglic still enjoys a comfortable lead by the next rest day on Tuesday, it's nice to see Jumbo-Visma's Der Panzerwagen (Tony Martin), Kiwi George Bennett and American nice-guy Sepp Kuss ride tempo and control things than (ahem!) the usual suspects in a grand tour. Anyone but Skineos amirite?
Movistar's strategy is always entertaining
Valverde told the press on the rest day he was tired of the leadership question while Quintana tried to present a united front with a "the road will decide" style answer. But even if they are co-leaders intent on defeating each other-ish, it will be entertaining as they both try to take it to Roglic. And who knows, one of them might pull it off.
What could the other, younger Slovenian do?
It is not ideal talking up a 20-year-old as a potential GC threat on his grand tour debut - for the rider and for us. But it is hard not to when UAE's Tadej "I was happy when it started to rain" Pogacar seems to get better as the race goes higher and the weather horrible.
With the 'win grand tour stage' box now ticked, jagged in fine fashion on a treacherous Stage 9, and currently only five seconds (fifth overall) behind Quintana, we'll enjoy watching this kid have some fun tussling with the GC contenders because it doesn't look like he currently finds it much of a chore.
Watch the Vuelta a España live nightly on SBS Viceland or streaming at our site / SBS On Demand.
If it's all too much to stay up for sometimes, we forgive you, catch the daily highlights on SBS at 5pm or on this website.
