Sierra de la Pandera tests Enric Mas' red jersey

The overall contenders return to the mountains on stage 14 of La Vuelta a España, covering 154.5 kilometres from Jaén to Sierra de la Pandera with 4,338 metres of climbing. The race starts at 13:33 and is expected to finish at around 17:31. The route includes the category-two Puerto de Los Villares and Puerto de Locubín before the decisive summit finish.

Sierra de la Pandera is an 11.9-kilometre category-one climb averaging 7.2%, but it includes ramps of 15% and 17% and two kilometres above 11% in its hardest section. The riders must also cross the short Muro de Valdepeñas de Jaén before the final ascent, creating another opportunity to reduce the group.

Enric Mas starts with a 1:45 lead over Primoz Roglic and 2:06 over Felix Gall. Richard Carapaz is fourth at 3:53, followed by Oscar Onley at 4:29 and Jakob Omrzel at 4:59. Mas will try to increase his cushion before the third-week time trial, while Roglic and the other challengers need to use the steep gradients to put the red jersey under pressure.