Vuelta 2022 Favourites stage 14: Climb fest in Pandera mountains

That climbing part features two short downhills – totalling 6 kilometres –, the rest goes uphill. Nor particularly steep at first, but things change when the riders leave the main road to enter the narrow roads of the Sierra de la Pandera. The finish climb is 8.4 kilometres long and the average gradients sits at 7.8%.

Since the climb to the line is preceded by two other ascents – the first 4 kilometres at 4.7%, the second 10.4 kilometres at 5.5% – the finale is a lot for your system. All the more since the temperatures in the heart of Andalucía are insane in this time of year.

The run-up to the finale is nothing special. Flat to rolling roads until the riders enter the Puerto de Siete Pilillas, a 9.9 kilometres climb at 3.5%. The ensuing downhill takes the riders towards the violent finale.

It’s largely guesswork to say whether the winner will come from the break or the GC group. If it’s up to us we would opt for a GC rider, but it could just as well be the other way around.

Favourites 14th stage 2022 Vuelta a España

*** Primoz Roglic, Remco Evenepoel, Carlos Rodriguez
** Enric Mas, Tao Geoghegan Hart, Miguel Ángel López, Juan Ayuso
* Thibaut Pinot, Marc Soler, Mark Padun, Richard Carapaz, Jay Vine

Another interesting read: route 14th stage 2022 Vuelta.