Preview - Vuelta a Espana 2022 stage 14

The mountains of Andalusia will have a crucial role at this Vuelta a Espana. The final two stages of the second week will be highly mountainous, with two summit finishes that can change the outcome of the race completely.

This day will be perhaps the easiest of both, most will say. However not an easy feat in any way, with 3300 meters of climbing, most of them consolidated in the final half of the stage. The start in Montoro won’t have any meaningful ascent to cause trouble to the riders, that will come later in the day.

As the riders head closer to Sierra de la Pandera they will find three hilltops, climbs that aren’t categorized but will be felt in the legs - specially of those who are not on a good day. The final ascent then can be described in several ways, however officially it is a string of ascents, the first being the Puerto de Los Villares which features 10 kilometers at 5.5% and summits with 11.8 kilometers to go, having bonus seconds available at the top. Due to the short descent that follows, which can be considered more as a small resting section, the climb to Sierra de la Pandera only starts officially afterwards.

It is 8.6 kilometers at 7.5%, significantly harder than the previous, with the addition of the accumulated fatigue. It’s an inconsistent climb, with gradients of over 10% in several sections and a clear section between 4.6 and 2.6 kilometers to go where it doesn’t come down from those ramps. It’s clear where the attacks should come mostly, as the ascent will then slightly come down, with an explosive final ramp set to decide the day’s winner.

CyclingUpToDate prediction:
**** Jay Vine
*** Remco Evenepoel, Enric Mas
** Primoz Roglic, Juan Ayuso, Carlos Rodríguez
* Miguel Ángel López, Richard Carapaz, Tao Geoghegan Hart, Marc Soler