Villafranca del Bierzo is oozing history. A castle, a monastery and several churches are the silent witnesses to a rich past, but in terms of Vuelta history the town of 3,000 is still a virgin.
The riders roll out from Villafranca del Bierzo to head in easterly direction. After Bembibre they turns north towards Matarrosa del Sil after which the route turns gradually to Villablino – yes, the finishing venue. But there are still more than 100 kilometres before a rider will cross the line celebrating.
The huge lap opens with a climb. The Puerto de Cerredo is 9 kilometres long and averaging 4.1%. The ascent gets steeper along the way with the hardest ramps just under the top. The summit is also the border between Castilla y León and Asturias.
A 40 kilometres long descent, with a short uphill section halfway, takes the riders to Cangas del Narcea, which is where the road goes up again. At first it’s merely a false flat, but the gradients increase after the village Bimeda. The Puerto de Leitariegos is 24 kilometres long, while the average gradient sits at 4.1%.
The riders re-enter Castilla y León at the top of the Leitariegos. The first 11 kilometres are on descent before a flat 5 kilometres long run-in to the line.
The first three riders on the line gain time bonuses of 10, 6 and 4 seconds, while the intermediate sprint comes with 6, 4 and 4 seconds.
Vuelta a España 2024 stage 14: profile & more
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