[analyse_image type=”featured” src=”https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/WAwtWZM5zUxcWfSWKamXm3-2500-80.jpg”]
As it happened: GC takes major shift as red jersey solidifies his lead on La Vuelta stage 9
As it happened: sprint decides stage 8 of the Vuelta a España on a day where the red jersey changes hands
As it happened: A new Slovenian star is crowned and the red jersey plays his cards on stage 12 of the Vuelta a España
Vuelta a España stage 14 preview – Brutally steep Sierra de la Pandera should reignite GC hostilities, but is anyone stronger than Enric Mas?
By
Matilda Price, Lyne Lamoureux
Last updated
155km stage from Jaén to Sierra de la Pandera summit finish takes in three categorised climbs and is sure to mean a GC battle
-
Stage details
-
Climbs
-
Sprints
-
Facebook
-
X
-
Pinterest
-
Email
Follow us
- Stage 14: Jaén – Sierra de La Pandera
- Date: September 5, 2026
- Distance: 154.5km
- Elevation gain: 4,107m
- Start time: 13:33 CEST
- Finish time: 17:19 CEST
After one day off on stage 13, the GC battle should reignite on stage 14 of the Vuelta a España, with the third weekend of the race kicking off on Saturday with a super challenging mountain-top finish atop the Sierra de la Pandera.
So far, red jersey Enric Mas (Movistar) is firmly in the driving seat, only extending his lead over his rivals with an attack on stage 12, but this Vuelta is not done yet, and with the time trial looming in the third week, the Spaniard clearly wants to gain all the time he can over TT speicalist Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe).
So far, no one has been able to match Mas’ accelerations, but the steep slopes of Sierra de la Pandera on Saturday – which tips over 16% in some sections – legs will be tested and anything could happen.
There are also question marks over riders like Oscar Onley (Netcompany Ineos), who was lacking strength in the last climbing challenge, and risks losing his white jersey to breakthrough rider Jakob Omrzel (Bahrain Victorious).
There’s still a full week of this Vuelta to go, but Saturday’s challenging stage offers the next chance the GC to be shaped and shaken up.
Stage details
Image 1 of 2
(Image credit: Unipublic)
(Image credit: Unipublic)
View Original
View Original
Starting in Jaén, stage 14 of the Vuelta a España will cross the mountainous interior of Andalucía, to finish with a summit finish at Sierra de la Pandera. The combination of high temperatures, a lack of shade and constant, steep gradients will add an extra layer of difficulty to this key GC stage.
The 154.5km route winds through the mountains, surrounded by olive groves and packed with bends and climbs, taking in the Puerto de Los Villares and the Puerto de Locubín before the brutal ascent of the Sierra de la Pandera.
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
The climb is preceded by a kicker dubbed the Muro (wall) de Valdepeñas de Jaén, featuring 600m at over 10%, and things only get harder from there, with the Sierra de la Pandera itself featuring stretches of 15% and 17% – the ‘average’ of 7.2% should not mislead you, much of this climb is much harder. Kilometres 7-9 feature an average gradient of over 11% for two kilometres.
Things do level out at the very top, with a short drop down in the final kilometre before a shallower kick to the line, but by that point, legs will have been well and truly tested and gaps made.
The 1,800-metre summit has a rich history: Vuelta a España champions Roberto Heras and Alejandro Valverde both took stage wins there, and more recently Richard Carapaz claimed victory in 2022.
Climbs
- Puerto de Los Villares (cat. 2, 10.5km at 5.4%), km. 92.8
- Puerto de Locubín (cat. 2, 8.7km at 5.1%), km. 133
- Sierra de La Pandera (cat. 1, 11.9km at 7.2%), km. 154.5
Sprints
- Castillo de Locubín, km. 123.6
For unbeatable coverage across road, gravel and tech, subscribe to Cyclingnews. You’ll get comprehensive race coverage of La Vuelta a España, subscriber-exclusive analysis from our expert columnists, in-depth features and industry-leading tech insight. Plus, the Cyclingnews app lets you follow the action wherever you go! Join today.
Lyne Lamoureux
Lyne has been involved in professional cycling for more than 15 years in both news reporting and sports marketing. She founded Podium Insight in 2008, quickly becoming a trusted source for news of the North American professional cycling world. She was the first to successfully use social media to consistently provide timely and live race updates for all fans. She is proud to have covered men’s and women’s news equally during her tenure at the helm of the site. Her writing has appeared on Cyclingnews and other news sites.
-
1
Tadej Pogačar won’t race again in 2026 after Vuelta a España crash, but extends UAE contract until 2032
-
2
Vuelta España Femenina to change dates from May to October for the 2027 edition
-
3
‘Enric is the favourite’ – Tadej Pogačar’s director at UAE Team Emirates-XRG names Mas as top candidate to win Vuelta a España
-
4
‘In a way, I don’t know any different’ – All three Grand Tours in one season no problem for Sepp Kuss as he enjoys a more open Vuelta a España in Pogačar’s absence
-
5
‘A serious confidence boost for the Worlds’ – as rainbow jersey battle looms, Wout van Aert shows stunning form and racecraft in Vuelta a España
Vuelta a España stage 14 preview – Brutally steep Sierra de la Pandera should reignite GC hostilities, but is anyone stronger than Enric Mas?
By
Matilda Price, Lyne Lamoureux
Last updated
155km stage from Jaén to Sierra de la Pandera summit finish takes in three categorised climbs and is sure to mean a GC battle
-
Stage details
-
Climbs
-
Sprints
-
Facebook
-
X
-
Pinterest
-
Email
Follow us
- Stage 14: Jaén – Sierra de La Pandera
- Date: September 5, 2026
- Distance: 154.5km
- Elevation gain: 4,107m
- Start time: 13:33 CEST
- Finish time: 17:19 CEST
After one day off on stage 13, the GC battle should reignite on stage 14 of the Vuelta a España, with the third weekend of the race kicking off on Saturday with a super challenging mountain-top finish atop the Sierra de la Pandera.
So far, red jersey Enric Mas (Movistar) is firmly in the driving seat, only extending his lead over his rivals with an attack on stage 12, but this Vuelta is not done yet, and with the time trial looming in the third week, the Spaniard clearly wants to gain all the time he can over TT speicalist Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe).
So far, no one has been able to match Mas’ accelerations, but the steep slopes of Sierra de la Pandera on Saturday – which tips over 16% in some sections – legs will be tested and anything could happen.
There are also question marks over riders like Oscar Onley (Netcompany Ineos), who was lacking strength in the last climbing challenge, and risks losing his white jersey to breakthrough rider Jakob Omrzel (Bahrain Victorious).
There’s still a full week of this Vuelta to go, but Saturday’s challenging stage offers the next chance the GC to be shaped and shaken up.
Stage details
Image 1 of 2
(Image credit: Unipublic)
(Image credit: Unipublic)
View Original
View Original
Starting in Jaén, stage 14 of the Vuelta a España will cross the mountainous interior of Andalucía, to finish with a summit finish at Sierra de la Pandera. The combination of high temperatures, a lack of shade and constant, steep gradients will add an extra layer of difficulty to this key GC stage.
The 154.5km route winds through the mountains, surrounded by olive groves and packed with bends and climbs, taking in the Puerto de Los Villares and the Puerto de Locubín before the brutal ascent of the Sierra de la Pandera.
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
The climb is preceded by a kicker dubbed the Muro (wall) de Valdepeñas de Jaén, featuring 600m at over 10%, and things only get harder from there, with the Sierra de la Pandera itself featuring stretches of 15% and 17% – the ‘average’ of 7.2% should not mislead you, much of this climb is much harder. Kilometres 7-9 feature an average gradient of over 11% for two kilometres.
Things do level out at the very top, with a short drop down in the final kilometre before a shallower kick to the line, but by that point, legs will have been well and truly tested and gaps made.
The 1,800-metre summit has a rich history: Vuelta a España champions Roberto Heras and Alejandro Valverde both took stage wins there, and more recently Richard Carapaz claimed victory in 2022.
Climbs
- Puerto de Los Villares (cat. 2, 10.5km at 5.4%), km. 92.8
- Puerto de Locubín (cat. 2, 8.7km at 5.1%), km. 133
- Sierra de La Pandera (cat. 1, 11.9km at 7.2%), km. 154.5
Sprints
- Castillo de Locubín, km. 123.6
For unbeatable coverage across road, gravel and tech, subscribe to Cyclingnews. You’ll get comprehensive race coverage of La Vuelta a España, subscriber-exclusive analysis from our expert columnists, in-depth features and industry-leading tech insight. Plus, the Cyclingnews app lets you follow the action wherever you go! Join today.
Lyne Lamoureux
Lyne has been involved in professional cycling for more than 15 years in both news reporting and sports marketing. She founded Podium Insight in 2008, quickly becoming a trusted source for news of the North American professional cycling world. She was the first to successfully use social media to consistently provide timely and live race updates for all fans. She is proud to have covered men’s and women’s news equally during her tenure at the helm of the site. Her writing has appeared on Cyclingnews and other news sites.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
-
1
Tadej Pogačar won’t race again in 2026 after Vuelta a España crash, but extends UAE contract until 2032
-
2
Vuelta España Femenina to change dates from May to October for the 2027 edition
-
3
‘Enric is the favourite’ – Tadej Pogačar’s director at UAE Team Emirates-XRG names Mas as top candidate to win Vuelta a España
-
4
‘In a way, I don’t know any different’ – All three Grand Tours in one season no problem for Sepp Kuss as he enjoys a more open Vuelta a España in Pogačar’s absence
-
5
‘A serious confidence boost for the Worlds’ – as rainbow jersey battle looms, Wout van Aert shows stunning form and racecraft in Vuelta a España
Vuelta a España stage 14 preview – Brutally steep Sierra de la Pandera should reignite GC hostilities, but is anyone stronger than Enric Mas?
By
Matilda Price, Lyne Lamoureux
Last updated
155km stage from Jaén to Sierra de la Pandera summit finish takes in three categorised climbs and is sure to mean a GC battle
-
Facebook
-
X
-
Pinterest
-
Email
Follow us
- Stage 14: Jaén – Sierra de La Pandera
- Date: September 5, 2026
- Distance: 154.5km
- Elevation gain: 4,107m
- Start time: 13:33 CEST
- Finish time: 17:19 CEST
After one day off on stage 13, the GC battle should reignite on stage 14 of the Vuelta a España, with the third weekend of the race kicking off on Saturday with a super challenging mountain-top finish atop the Sierra de la Pandera.
So far, red jersey Enric Mas (Movistar) is firmly in the driving seat, only extending his lead over his rivals with an attack on stage 12, but this Vuelta is not done yet, and with the time trial looming in the third week, the Spaniard clearly wants to gain all the time he can over TT speicalist Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe).
So far, no one has been able to match Mas’ accelerations, but the steep slopes of Sierra de la Pandera on Saturday – which tips over 16% in some sections – legs will be tested and anything could happen.
There are also question marks over riders like Oscar Onley (Netcompany Ineos), who was lacking strength in the last climbing challenge, and risks losing his white jersey to breakthrough rider Jakob Omrzel (Bahrain Victorious).
There’s still a full week of this Vuelta to go, but Saturday’s challenging stage offers the next chance the GC to be shaped and shaken up.
Stage details
Image 1 of 2
(Image credit: Unipublic)
(Image credit: Unipublic)
View Original
View Original
Starting in Jaén, stage 14 of the Vuelta a España will cross the mountainous interior of Andalucía, to finish with a summit finish at Sierra de la Pandera. The combination of high temperatures, a lack of shade and constant, steep gradients will add an extra layer of difficulty to this key GC stage.
The 154.5km route winds through the mountains, surrounded by olive groves and packed with bends and climbs, taking in the Puerto de Los Villares and the Puerto de Locubín before the brutal ascent of the Sierra de la Pandera.
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
The climb is preceded by a kicker dubbed the Muro (wall) de Valdepeñas de Jaén, featuring 600m at over 10%, and things only get harder from there, with the Sierra de la Pandera itself featuring stretches of 15% and 17% – the ‘average’ of 7.2% should not mislead you, much of this climb is much harder. Kilometres 7-9 feature an average gradient of over 11% for two kilometres.
Things do level out at the very top, with a short drop down in the final kilometre before a shallower kick to the line, but by that point, legs will have been well and truly tested and gaps made.
The 1,800-metre summit has a rich history: Vuelta a España champions Roberto Heras and Alejandro Valverde both took stage wins there, and more recently Richard Carapaz claimed victory in 2022.
Climbs
- Puerto de Los Villares (cat. 2, 10.5km at 5.4%), km. 92.8
- Puerto de Locubín (cat. 2, 8.7km at 5.1%), km. 133
- Sierra de La Pandera (cat. 1, 11.9km at 7.2%), km. 154.5
Sprints
- Castillo de Locubín, km. 123.6
For unbeatable coverage across road, gravel and tech, subscribe to Cyclingnews. You’ll get comprehensive race coverage of La Vuelta a España, subscriber-exclusive analysis from our expert columnists, in-depth features and industry-leading tech insight. Plus, the Cyclingnews app lets you follow the action wherever you go! Join today.
[analyse_source url=”https://www.cyclingnews.com/pro-cycling/racing/vuelta-a-espana-2026-stage-14-preview/”]
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.