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SOME LIKE IT hot, and some say they like riding a bike because it helps them lose weight.

That’s probably not what’s going through the minds of cyclists in Spain this week, where it feels like an inferno.

Riders can’t seem to get enough water into their bodies — or over their heads:

“Air temperatures are pushing 100F [37 degrees celcius], and it’s even hotter with the sun beating off the asphalt,” Velo News’ Andrew Hood reports.

Nicolas Roche’s team, Tinkoff-Saxo, said its riders were getting up to 12 water bottles a day, though obviously some of that water was poured over their heads to counter the oppressive conditions:

Trek Factory Racing’s Fabian Cancellara tweeted that he lost 4.5 kilos after racing Monday’s stage, appealing for the UCI to bring in some safety regulations to protect riders in the heat and adding that no matter how much he drank he still got cramps:

This year’s Vuelta has a stacked field with top riders such as Chris Froome, Alberto Contador, and Nairo Quintana participating. To help beat the heat, Contador and his team are using a new “bar vest” for carrying water bottles during the race, as first reported by Peloton magazine.

How did nobody think of this before?

Guess Contador picked a good time to do the ice bucket challenge then.

The intense heat in Spain is expected to last for several more days.

-  Daniel McMahon

Ireland’s Dan Martin continued his great start at the Vuelta today

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