Stage 14 Puerto de Ancares - Villablino (200.4km)
The final weekend of the second week of the Vuelta promises to be even tougher than the already grueling stages of the preceding days. On Saturday, while there is no uphill finish, riders will still tackle a formidable 24-kilometer climb just before the finish, with the stage concluding in Villablino.
The 14th stage of this Vuelta starts in the relatively unknown Villafranca del Bierzo, a village that has never hosted a Vuelta peloton. However, it is familiar to hikers as a stop along the Camino de Santiago for centuries.
The first hundred kilometers of this stage are relatively mild, with only gentle climbing that is unlikely to cause any real trouble. The Puerto de Cerredo, the first significant climb of the day, appears halfway through the stage. It ascends about nine kilometers with an average gradient of 4.1 percent, which should not be too daunting.
At the summit of this climb, the riders enter Asturias and can start to brace themselves for the tougher climbs to come. On this stage, the real test is the Puerto de Leitariegos.
The Puerto de Leitariegos (24 km at 4.1 percent) begins after a long descent toward Bimeda, 39 kilometers from the finish. Riders will face over 24 kilometers of climbing, but the gradient is never excessively steep, so they will spend roughly an hour reaching the top.
After the summit, there is a 16-kilometer descent to the finish line in Villablino, where the peloton will pass through earlier in the day. Although the 14th stage appears to be challenging on paper, it remains to be seen if the riders will push hard, knowing that Sunday features the first finish at a hors catégorie climb.
| Date | Saturday 31 August |
| Start |  Puerto de Ancares |
| Finish | Villablino |
| Distance | 200.4 km |
| Start time | 12:25 |
| Expected finish | 17:16 |
Stage 14 Puerto de Ancares - Villablino (200.4km)
The final weekend of the second week of the Vuelta promises to be even tougher than the already grueling stages of the preceding days. On Saturday, while there is no uphill finish, riders will still tackle a formidable 24-kilometer climb just before the finish, with the stage concluding in Villablino.
The 14th stage of this Vuelta starts in the relatively unknown Villafranca del Bierzo, a village that has never hosted a Vuelta peloton. However, it is familiar to hikers as a stop along the Camino de Santiago for centuries.
The first hundred kilometers of this stage are relatively mild, with only gentle climbing that is unlikely to cause any real trouble. The Puerto de Cerredo, the first significant climb of the day, appears halfway through the stage. It ascends about nine kilometers with an average gradient of 4.1 percent, which should not be too daunting.
At the summit of this climb, the riders enter Asturias and can start to brace themselves for the tougher climbs to come. On this stage, the real test is the Puerto de Leitariegos.
The Puerto de Leitariegos (24 km at 4.1 percent) begins after a long descent toward Bimeda, 39 kilometers from the finish. Riders will face over 24 kilometers of climbing, but the gradient is never excessively steep, so they will spend roughly an hour reaching the top.
After the summit, there is a 16-kilometer descent to the finish line in Villablino, where the peloton will pass through earlier in the day. Although the 14th stage appears to be challenging on paper, it remains to be seen if the riders will push hard, knowing that Sunday features the first finish at a hors catégorie climb.