Assuming that stage 13 will turn into a hard battle for the red jersey, it makes sense to think of stage 14 as more of a chance for the breakaway to survive. That’s what we wrote before the start of La Vuelta. An yes, it panned out that way. Jumbo-Visma now only needs to control the race to win the GC.
Following a flat run-up of some 50 kilometres the first HC climb is the Col Hourcère – 11.1 kilometres at 8.7% -, and right after the descent the next one is already lined up. The Puerto de Larrau is 14.9 kilometres long and slopes at 8%. Still almost 50 kilometres to go at the summit.
Following a 10 kilometres downhill, the Puerto de Laza throws in 3.4 kilometres at 6.3%, before a relatively flat section of 20 kilometres leads to the base of the finish climb. Which is not exactly a killer, although some dreams will shatter on its flanks – dreams of attackers, presumably. The first 6 kilometres of the finish climb rise at 7.5% before the road levels off to 6.4% and then 4.8%, while the last 1.5 kilometres is merely a false flat uphill.
Favourites 14th stage 2023 Vuelta a España
*** Romain Bardet, Michael Storer, Wout Poels, Geraint Thomas
** Remco Evenepoel, Bauke Mollema, Jan Hirt, Sylvain Moniquet, Andreas Kron
* Primoz Roglic, Sepp Kuss, Jonas Vingegaard, Marc Soler, Juan Ayuso, Enric Mas
Another interesting read: route 14th stage 2023 Vuelta.
Vuelta a España 2023 stage 14: profiles
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