As the Vuelta a Espana arrives at its second rest day, we caught up with Oscar Onley to get his thoughts on the race thus far and look ahead to the third week of racing.
Oscar, 15 stages down, six to go - what are you reflections on the race so far?:
"I think it's been a bit of an up and down race. I’ve had a couple of setbacks, which is normal in a Grand Tour I think. I'm just focussing on trying to get back to the level that I've had on the previous days in the first week, and I’m in an okay position, but I want more out of the race, and I'm hoping to get more out of it.
All the riders have had to deal with some intense heat thus far in the race, particularly in the last week.
"I enjoy the heat, but I would say this is a different heat to the one I enjoy! It's something I've not had, other than maybe Tour Down Under, I’ve not really experienced something this hot before, but I've not had any problems with it so far. I think the team with the staff and the methods and the protocols they have in place to keep us as cool as possible have been really good and I think over the three weeks it makes a big difference."
How have the team been working together during the second week?
"To be honest, I think the team have been really good, and everyone's really stepped up. I think a special mention to Lucas (Hamilton) and Axel (Laurance), because they're not climbers, but they've been around me really deep into some of these mountain days and to see them fighting also gives me a lot of energy as well.
"I think the team have been really good this week. We’ve had a few situations that we've had to use guys on the front, which is normal in a Grand Tour when people around me in the GC are trying to get up the road. But also just simple things, like getting bottles and ice when the temperatures are like they are, they've really been good with that."
The final week has a key time trial test on stage 18. Talk about how you'll approach that.
"I think this one's more of a true test, I would say. Obviously, the one in Monaco was quite specialised with all the technical aspects, and the focus for me there was really just to get through it and take no risks. Whereas this one, it’s more on legs and how aero you are, and so I'm hoping that the package the team have for the TTs can help me."
Obviously it wouldn't be the Vuelta without some tough mountain tests in the final week.
"There's two big mountain days left in the race, and the last one [stage 20] I know really well from doing training camp in Sierra Nevada before the Dauphine this year. I think half the peloton also know the roads really well, but it's a really hard day and I think a lot can happen on that day. It could also get quite tactical as well between different GC guys and where everyone stands. I think that it will be an exciting day for the race."
You're sitting fifth overall and in the white jersey. Talk to us about the fight for that in the final week.
"Obviously, you never want to give anyone any time in breakaways, but that's just how it happens sometimes. To be honest, I don't know [Jakob] Omrzel that well but I'm learning about him quite quickly, particularly in the last few days. I think it's going to be quite close between us in this last week. I think that's also another nice battle to have, but ultimately, it's just for the best position on GC rather than the white jersey."
Overall how would you sum up this edition of La Vuelta thus far?
"This Grand Tour has been quite different to the Tour [de France] I experienced last year. Looking back, last year was too easy almost with no setbacks! But I think everyone has setbacks during a Grand Tour and I think the way I and the team have dealt with that has been really good. There really has been some days that I've really struggled and thought that I could lose everything, so to still be sitting fifth on GC is something quite positive. I'm just hoping for a clean, smooth last week, and physically, I'm starting to feel more like myself again, and I'm not too tired at this point."