It’s been a nonstop swelter in Andalusia this summer—even before the hot-blooded cyclists of this year’s La Vuelta came zooming in! Competing as a second-string racer for a third-rate sponsor, Andalusian native Pepe Benengeli isn’t exactly the favorite to win. Well, that is unless you’re talking to the folks at his brother’s wedding reception! But when a series of mid-race revelations leave him at a crossroads, Pepe explodes in an all-out attack toward the finish line!

Team Pao Pao Beer travel east to participate in the Japan Cup in what is very likely to be their final season together. Pepe Benengeli and teammate Jean Luigi Ciocci face an uncertain future and are also yet to come to terms with the suicide of one their heroes, Marco Rondanini. What follows is an introspective into the important things in life from the perspective of the professional cyclist.