September 02, 2022
A summit finish on Sierra de La Pandera should see a battle between the GC men
Vuelta a España 2022, stage 14
Distance: 160.3 kilometres
Start location: Montoro
Finish location: Sierra de La Pandera
Start time: 12.05 BST
Finish time (approx): 16.30 BST
The town of Montoro in the province of Córdoba hosts its second ever stage start of the Vuelta a España today 22 years after its first in the year 2000. Situated within beautiful natural landscape, the area is one of the last habitats of the native Iberian lynx and the town also holds the dubious honour of having the highest ever recorded temperature in Spanish history, the mercury tipping 47.4 degrees Celsius exactly one year prior.
In what has already been a record-breaking summer in terms of heat, the peloton will hope the temperatures don’t reach those heights as they pass through the region, and head East, along the Guadalquivir, the only major navigable river in Spain. The route heads along the southern tip of the Sierra de Andújar national park as it crosses the border into the region of Jaén, an area famous for its vast olive groves.
Vuelta a España 2022 stage 14 map and profile
The terrain is bumpy but without anything in the way of troubling ascents for the first 75km or so, although the road does pass an extinct volcano at the town of Marmalejo. Turning south just after Mengibar, it’s not until just before the race reaches the town of Jaén itself that the route begins to ascend, albeit up gentle slopes at first. Jaén is an impressive town, boasting bath houses, museums, a medieval fortress and a Renaissance cathedral.
From Jaén the riders will complete a loop out to the east, with the road rising steadily up to the first categorised climb of the day, although by the time the peloton hits the beginning of the 3rd category Puerto de Siete Pilillas they will have already been ascending for almost 10km. The climb is relatively long at 9.9km but with a shallow average gradient of 3.5% it is unlikely to cause too many ripples in the bunch, however it’s the kind of day where a determined breakaway could use such a climb as a springboard, with just over 50km remaining of the race after the climb.
There’s a fair bit of downhill, punctuated by a couple more uncategorised bumps, and an intermediate sprint in Jaén as the race loops back and continues south. From here the serious business of the day…