La Vuelta 2026 – Stage 14 [FULL STAGE]

September 5, 2026

81st La Vuelta Ciclista a España 2026 🇪🇸 (2.UWT) ME – Stage 14 – Jaén – Sierra de la Pandera : 154,5 km

Vuelta a España 2026 is a UCI WorldTour stage race run across varied Spanish terrain, typically combining high mountains, rolling inland roads, technical city finishes, and exposed transitional stages that can all shape the general classification. The route usually asks riders to manage long climbs, steep ramps, heat, and late-race fatigue, with recovery between decisive stages becoming a central factor. Crosswinds on flatter days, narrow roads in historic towns, and sharp changes in gradient can make even moderate stages tactically tense. Race dynamics often revolve around team control in the mountains, breakaways seeking opportunities on transitional terrain, and repeated attacks on summit finishes or steep uphill drags. Typical stage profiles may include alpine-style climbing days, medium-mountain stages, sprint opportunities, and technical finales that reward good positioning. The finishing style varies widely, from bunch sprints on flatter stages to solo arrivals or small-group battles after selective climbs. The race favors consistency, climbing depth, and resilience across three demanding weeks.

Marco Brenner (Tudor Pro Cycling) overcame the stifling head of the Andalucian mountains to win stage 14 of the Vuelta a España on Saturday.

Brenner had been part of a huge, 45-man breakaway group which had escaped early in the day, and which had been allowed to compete for the stage by the peloton on a brutal day. As the group was whittled down on the final climb, a four-man group came together, the eventually German following a move by Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious) in the final kilometre.

Buitrago came home second, consolidating his lead in the mountains classification, while Cristián Rodríguez (XDS Astana) was third.

In the peloton, the final climb proved decisive, with Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe) gapped in the final two kilometres, losing time to Felix Gall (Decathlon-CMA CGM) and race leader Enric Mas (Movistar).

Mas continues to lead the race overall, 2:06 ahead of Gall, who moved head of Roglič, who lost 15 seconds on the day.

Brenner’s victory was only his second WorldTour win, coming hot on the heels of his GC victory at the Tour de Pologne last month. It was also the first Grand Tour stage win for the Tudor Pro Cycling team.

“I cannot really believe it,” Brenner said. “Until now I was not feeling like myself, and I was struggling with some sickness early in the race and had a crash. But I really wanted to show myself, but also my teammates who have been working really hard for me the whole time that I can be up there.

“Also today I had two guys with me in the breakaway that did a super job. On the final climb I could actually feel that I have the kick, and I felt better and better throughout the day, and in the end I started believing in it.

“I made the move, and Santiago passed me, but I could catch up, and then in the end I could beat him in the sprint.

“There’s not many cyclists who achieve a stage within a Grand Tour, and to add this to my palmarès is really amazing.”

Opportunities for attacks
For stage 14, the Vuelta returned to the mountains, remaining in Andalucía for a 154.5km stage between Jaén and Sierra de la Pandera, and with more than 4,100m of vertical ascent the day was sure to be another for the GC riders.

After a lumpy start, the route took the peloton over two second category climbs before the final first category ascent to the line, that final climb averaging 7.5% gradient over its 11.8km.

With the race heading uphill, the attacks came straight from the flag, mountains classification leader Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious) one of those trying to get away. After a large group went clear on the descent of the day’s first unclassified climb, with 30 frantic kilometres ridden, a huge group of 45 riders finally went clear, building a lead of more than three minutes.

The Puerto de los Villares was the day’s first classified climb, the second category ascent averaging 5.5% over it 10.5km, and by the time the front of the race was halfway up, the Movistar team of race leader Mas had taken time out of a lead which had extended to over five minutes.

Over the top, the peloton trailed what remained of the breakaway by four minutes, but on the descent Kevin Vermaerke (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), the US rider quickly building a lead of over a minute as once again the peloton dropped back.

The second climb of the day, the Puerto de Locubín, began with 30km to go, by which time Vermaerke led by 1:44 with the bunch at 8:10. However, while it seemed the peloton might not take the stage, the American’s grip on the race was less secure, his advantage reduced as he reached the top of the climb.

Skirmishes on Sierra de la Pandera
The Sierra de la Pandera made for a brutal finish to the stage, the 11.8km climb averaging 7.5%, though with some significantly steeper ramps. However, Vermaerke reached the foot of the climb he was caught on the Muro de Valdepeñas de Jaén, a short town centre dig which has featured as a stage finish in earlier editions of the Vuelta.

With Vermaerke dropped, Georg Steinhauser (EF Education-EasyPost) reached the base of the final climb alone, putting time into the chasing group, however, he was caught by Guillaume Martin (Groupama-FDJ United) with just over nine kilometres to go, the pair leading a large chasing group by 50 seconds.

However, they were soon caught by a group of others as the race entered a period of flux, the peloton now 6:30 down.

From the leading group Mario Aparicio (Burgos-Burpellet-BH) attacked, the Spaniard heading into the final 4km leading by 35 seconds from an expanded chase group, though he too was soon caught, Buitrago and Brenner going straight past. Buitrago then tried his luck alone, and when he was brought back, a group of four formed, with Cristián Rodríguez (XDS Astana) and Iván Sosa Kern Pharma).

In the favourites group, EF Education took to the front on the bottom of the final climb, setting a pace and suggesting a move from Richard Carapaz, who won the last time the race visited the finish climb. That move had to wait though, the peloton settling for a little while. Carapaz eventually made his move with around 4km to go, following a move from Mas and heading up the road alone.

It was not to be for the Ecuadorian though, he was eventually brought back by Mas, Felix Gall (Decathlon-CMA CGM) and Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe), the race’s top four on GC coming together.

It was then Gall’s turn to go it alone, but Mas proved too strong, bringing his move back with Roglič, and when Mas was joined by his Movistar teammate Raúl García Pierna, who had been in the breakaway, the pace he set saw to Roglič’s hopes of gaining time.

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