Pepe Benengeli is a professional cyclist from Andalusia, Spain, competing as a domestique for Team Pao Pao Beer. His role focuses on supporting the team's primary contender rather than seeking individual victories. His cycling passion stems from a longstanding rivalry with his older brother, Angel Benengeli, an amateur cyclist who inspired him. During their youth, both brothers habitually borrowed each other's bicycles without permission.

While Pepe served in the military, Angel married Carmen Pascual Dominguez, Pepe's former girlfriend. This event created significant personal tension and contributed to Pepe's departure from Andalusia to pursue professional cycling. Unresolved emotions about Carmen's marriage and the fraternal rivalry resurface when the Vuelta a España coincides with Angel and Carmen's wedding day in his hometown.

During the race, Pepe overhears Team Pao Pao Beer's sponsors planning to terminate his contract due to perceived underperformance. Facing potential unemployment and viewing this as his final opportunity, he disregards team orders to compete for a stage win. This decision arises from professional desperation and a personal drive to prove his worth before his hometown community, including Angel and Carmen.

Pepe's connection to Andalusia remains complex; he left after his military service partly due to the emotional fallout from Carmen's marriage, yet the region's landscape and community—such as bar owner Hernandez and friend Frankie—continue to influence him. The Andalusian race stage forces him to confront his past while testing his physical and emotional limits.

Angel and Carmen's wedding unfolds parallel to the race, with Pepe's family and acquaintances observing his performance. His relationship with Carmen primarily factors into the sibling rivalry dynamic.