Vuelta a España: Stage 14
Parcours preview
Distance: 164km
Category: High mountains
Highest point: 2,408m
Vuelta stages into Andorra usually finish with one big climb in the tiny Pyrenean country but today's route packs in four of its most renowned ascents. The first and the last are the toughest, and quite different. The road to the 2,408m summit of the Envalira starts climbing from Seu d'Urgell, 47km away. However, the final 25km are relentlessly tough. The Ordino is another lofty pass, while the Comella continues the examination of the GC riders' climbing credentials. Those will be put to the ultimate test on the final ascent of the very steep Gallina. Alejandro Valverde, Joaquim Rodríguez and Alberto Contador duelled on its precipitous ramps last year, Valverde winning the day.
José Azevedo: "This finish featured last year but the approach to it was flat as far as the Port de la Comella. Even then, there were big gaps but now we have the Envalira and Ordino. This will be one of the key days. There won't be too many riders in GC contention after this."
Don't forget to download the Cyclingnews Tour Tracker mobile app for live coverage of the Vuelta!
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Peter Cossins has written about professional cycling since 1993 and is a contributing editor to Procycling. He is the author of The Monuments: The Grit and the Glory of Cycling's Greatest One-Day Races (Bloomsbury, March 2014) and has translated Christophe Bassons' autobiography, A Clean Break (Bloomsbury, July 2014).
Latest on Cyclingnews
-
'My body's not really recovering as well as I'd like' – Neilson Powless battling away at Tour de France despite uneven top form
EF Education-EasyPost racer part of stage 10 break that saw teammate Ben Healy take win -
'It's good they focus so much on each other' - Remco Evenepoel keen to profit off rivalry between Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard for Tour de France GC
Belgian star remains non-committal about long-term future with Soudal-QuickStep -
Why are more juniors making the leap directly into the WorldTour? A deep dive into the new normal
From training to travel, Cyclingnews looks at how junior riders are tackling the changes that come with signing a professional WorldTour contract -
'I hope he feels tired' – After rest day coffees and a burger, Tadej Pogačar aims to strip Tour de France leader's jersey from Ben Healy
World champion expects short, challenging second week of the Tour de France to speed by