Emotional Rui Oliveira survives Vuelta a España time cut to encapsulate the beauty and sacrifice of Grand Tour racing

While Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) raised his hands to celebrate victory on stage 18 of the Vuelta a España at the mountain-top finish of La Cruz de Linares, and Jumbo-Visma mulled over the exact order of the final Madrid podium, Rui Oliveira knelt over his handlebars and began to cry.

The 27-year-old from UAE Team Emirates had just finished the brutally tough 178.9km stage, climbed over 4,600 vertical metres and survived the time cut by the skin of his teeth to finish 147th on the stage, over 35 minutes down on Evenepoel's unstoppable performance.

Read more: Remco Evenepoel wins stage 18 solo as Jumbo-Visma ride for Sepp Kuss

Oliveira finishing third from last on such a demanding day may seem like an afterthought to most onlookers and is certainly unlikely to drum up as much discussion as Jumbo’s GC polemic, but to the Portuguese rider it meant everything. He had crashed the day before, and wrapped in bandages on his left side, the rider’s Vuelta was hanging on a precipice after almost three weeks of non-stop racing.

As teammates gathered around an emotional Oliveira - and white jersey Juan Ayuso gingerly patted him on the back so as to not disturb his teammate's injuries - it was clear just how much survival meant to both the rider and his UAE squad members.

© Sprint Cycling Agency

A battered Rui Oliveira valiantly makes his way to the finish on stage 18

'It was just about survival'

Once he had gathered himself and reset, a still emotional and weary Oliveira spoke to Eurosport and GCN about his day in the saddle.

“After my crash yesterday I didn’t know if I could continue. It was just about survival,” he said, fighting back more tears.

“It was 90 kilometres with just me, Sebastián Molano and a few other guys. It was full gas to the line and I think that we made the time cut. It’s just a few more days to Paris, I mean Madrid,” he added with a brief laugh after correcting himself.

There are just three more days of racing left in this year’s Vuelta a España and although Saturday’s stage 20 is another arduous day in the saddle it is sandwiched between two sprint-friendly days in the saddle.

With Molano already off the mark in this year’s race with a win on stage 12 into Zaragoza, Oliveira and his time-cut survival companion have plenty still to focus on before the curtain falls in Madrid late on Sunday evening. It was the hope of more success that kept Oliveira’s will going when the easiest and perhaps most understandable choice would have been to stop.

“My goal was to stay with Molano the whole time because he wasn’t having a great time either. I stuck with him to the line because I know that he can win tomorrow and in Madrid. It’s just a relief that I made it. Now I can rest and tomorrow is another day.”

There’s a thin line between well-meaning sentiments of admiration and the glorification of riders who shouldn’t be allowed to race once injured, but at this point, Oliveira deserves only respect for his achievements.

And he’s right. Tomorrow is another day, and Paris, I mean Madrid, is a step closer for Oliveira and all the other riders who have battled through this Vuelta a España.

Keep up to date with all of the latest racing news from the Vuelta a España on our dedicated race page, linked here.