Vuelta 2014 Route stage 5: Priego de Córdoba – Ronda

Wednesday, August 27 – A ‘frayed trail’ today. Nearly nowhere stage 5, leading from Priego de Córdoba to Ronda, is flat. At the same time you’ll find no real climbs in the 180 kilometres. Fodder for sprinters with a ‘hilly appetite’.

Vuelta 2014 Route stage 5: Priego de Córdoba – Ronda

Priego de Córdoba is a beautiful white town, situated on a rocky ledge. It has a population of 25,000.

Map wise, arrival town Ronda is to the southwest of the departure town, actually pretty near the place the Vuelta started four days ago: Jerez de la Frontera. Ronda is popular with tourists, and not without reason. River Guadelevín splits the town in two, in the course of centuries the water carved out a deep gorge. Puente Romano (Roman Bridge), Puente Viejo and Puente Nuevo linking the two halves. Picturesque, to say the least.

The route fluctuates throughout the journey between 400 and 600 meter altimeters. At a little less than 40 kilometres from the finish line the riders start the long and not particarly steep to 885 metres. Upon cresting it's a 14 kilometre descent and then the final 800 metres go up again - with a modest 1.3 %.

You can follow the race here. The finish is expected around 17:40 (CET).