As it happened: A breakaway triumph as the red jersey gains time on Vuelta a España stage 14 summit finish
Marco Brenner wins on Sierra de la Pandera as Mas and Gall gain 25 seconds on Roglič
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of stage 14 of the Vuelta a España!
We're just over an hour from the start of today's stage.
Here's a look at what the riders have to deal with today.
And here's the map of the stage.
4,100 metres of elevation gain on the menu today and three major classified climbs.
A look at the main difficulty of the day, the final climb to the finish.
Here's a reminder of the Vuelta GC standings ahead of stage 14.
Vuelta a España GC standings – Enric Mas remains in red as Gregor Mühlberger crashes out of top 10
15 minutes until the riders roll out for the neutral zone.
How to watch Vuelta a España 2026 – Live streams and official broadcasters for stage 14
All the ways you can watch or stream the 2026 Vuelta a España from wherever you are in the world, including free options, with stage 14 on Saturday
The riders are off for the neutral start.
A long 7.4km neutral zone to start.
Richard Carapaz with a mechanical in the neutral zone.
A puncture for Jorge Arcas, too.
Already a huge group on the attack early on.
Around 30 riders on the move.
It's uphill from the start today as the riders tackle the unclassified Mancha Real (13km at 2.7%).
Mountain classification leader Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious) among those on the attack.
The move hasn't gone clear, though. There'll be some battle for the breakaway today.
Hugo Hofstetter and Simon Dalby falling victim to punctures early on.
24 riders on the move.
Lorenzo Fortunato was among those on the attack but the move has been brought back.
Over the top of that first hill and it's all back together.
Buitrago continues to be active at the front.
Fortunato on the move again.
Hugo Houle (Alpecin-Premier Tech) becomes the latest rider the abandon the Vuelta.
Moritz Kretschy (NSN) didn't start the stage, so there are now 153 riders left in the race.
Fortunato, Vermaerke, De la Cruz, Garcí Pierna, Kruijswijk, Nordhagen, Dainese, Sütterlin, Thompson, Fernández, Steinhauser, Romele on the attack.
15 seconds between the attackers and the peloton.
The attackers are now caught.
There's a split in the peloton now.
Around 45 riders at the front, 35 seconds between the groups.
Now around 40 riders out front.
Santiago Buitrago, Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious)
Mario Aparicio, José Manuel Díaz, Clément Alleno, Sinuhé Fernández (Burgos Burpellet BH)
Paul Ourselin (Cofidis)
Oscar Chamberlain (Decathlon CMA CGM)
Darren Rafferty, Georg Steinhauser, Vincenzo Albanese (EF Education-EasyPost)
Clément Berthet, Guillaume Martin (Groupama-FDJ United)
Finlay Pickering, Koen Bouwman, Asbjørn Hellemose (Jayco-AlUla)
Iván Sosa (Kern Pharma)
Embret Svestad-Bårdseng (Netcompany Ineos)
Patrick Konrad, Julien Bernard (Lidl-Trek)
Reuben Thompson (Lotto-Intermarché)
Raúl García Pierna, Pablo Castrillo (Movistar)
Pau Martí (NSN)
Milan Vader, Xabier Azparren, Walter Calzoni, David de la Cruz (Pinarello-Q36.5)
Filippo Zana, Valentin Paret-Peintre, Ethan Hayter, Alberto Dainese (Soudal-QuickStep)
Juan Guillermo Martínez, Reuben Thompson (Picnic-PostNL)
Marco Brenner, Larry Warbasse, Will Barta, Roland Thalmann (Tudor)
Steven Kruijswijk (Visma-Lease a Bike)
Kevin Vermaerke, João Almeida, Ivo Oliveira (UAE Team Emirates-XRG)
Cristián Rodríguez, Lorenzo Fortunato, Alessandro Romele (XDS-Astana)
A lot of these riders have been in the break several times before.
It's the fifth time in the move for Fernández, Bilbao, and Buitrago.
For Vermaerke, Albanese, Paret-Peintre, García Pierna, Zana, and Hayter it's their fourth time out front.
The jersey holders at the start of the stage today.
We're still waiting for live pictures from today's stage.
Riders on the attack earlier on today.
Still no classified climbs yet. They're all packed in the second half of the stage.
It's all been up and down so far, though. The riders have already tackled 1,000 metres of elevation.
3:40 now as the peloton lets the break slip a little further away.
Here's what David de la Cruz had to say about today's stage...
"Today is going to be a very tough day, because of the heat and the finish at La Pandera, but I’ll try to get through the day as best I can, and see if I can soon get my body back on track and feel good again, because yesterday was the first day of La Vuelta that I felt quite good.
"I think we did the Pandera in 2017, and again in 2022, so I know the climb well. It’s a very tough climb, not just the climb itself, but the approach: going through Valdepeñas de Jaén, where the steep stretch is really tough, then a very wide road… and then the heat – today is probably the day when you’ll feel the heat the most."
Spaniard to take conservative approach, worries if very hot weather worsens, meetings needed "to work out what to do"
83km to go
4:10 now for the break as Orluis Aular and Carlos Canal lead the way behind for Movistar.
A selecton of the riders in the break today.
Just under 10km to go to the first climb of the day.
Five minutes up to the breakaway now.
Enric Mas pulls off to the side of the road with a mechanical issue.
Three from Movistar at the front of the peloton with Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe and Decathlon CMA CGM lined up behind them.
They're onto the first climb of the day now.
Jordan Labrosse has abandoned the race in another blow to Felix Gall. Another key helper for the German, Gregor Mühlberger, left the Vuelta yesterday.
Meanwhile, Movistar have brought the gap down under four minutes.
Picnic-PostNL rider Oliver Peace is also out of the race.
No big moves in the breakaway yet.
Belgian claims 15th Grand Tour stage win of career after he and teammate Matthew Brennan keep firm grip on finale
A crash in the peloton. Fabio Van den Bossche, Christopher Hamilton, Thomas Gloag, and Timo De Jong all caught up.
All are up and running again fairly quickly.
The breakaway is coming to the top of the climb now.
2,200 metres of climbing done today, just over the halfway mark.
Movistar continue to lead the peloton four minutes down.
The peloton heads over the top of the climb.
A 9km descent now and some time in the valley before the next climb.
Mountain classification leader Buitrago has extended his lead today.
The American racer has around 10 seconds on the rest of the break.
French team remain confident with 2:06 to make up on Enric Mas, with podium buffer allowing for possible change in tactics
The gap back to the peloton has grown out to 4:40 now.
Vermaerke and the break are in the valley now, but it's not a flat road to the next climb. Instead, it's up and down over hills and rises.
The peloton has now dropped to 5:50 down on Vermaerke.
The Puerto de Locubín (9km at 5.1%) is the next climb on the menu. Vermaerke is 22km away from the top.
1:05 for Vermaerke now.
Almost seven minutes back to the peloton now.
Current time gaps are 1:45 to the break and 7:50 to the peloton.
Movistar continue to lead the peloton.
Aular still at the front for Movistar.
Aular leading the way, eight minutes behind Vermaerke.
Vermaerke passes through the intermediate sprint point for 20 points.
Vermaerke is starting the next climb now.
9km to the top.
Alessandro Romele has nipped out of the break to grab 17 points. He's third in the points classification.
Christophe Laporte (Visma-Lease a Bike) is the latest rider to abandon the Vuelta.
Movistar remain at the head of the peloton at eight minutes down.
Enric Mas towards the front of the peloton with Red Bull and Decathlon behind.
Riders drop off the rear of the peloton on the climb.
He's 1:35 up on the break now.
The break is closing in on Vermaerke now. The gap is down to 1:15.
Romele is leading the group up the climb.
The peloton now at 7:25.
Behind him, there's a sprint to the top and Buitrago gets no mountain points.
Cristián Rodríguez and Clement Berthet took the three and one point over the top in second and third place.
Into the final 20km now.
The peloton still 7:15 down on Vermaerke.
Richard Carapaz celebrated when the Vuelta last visited the Sierra de la Pandera back in 2022.
Here's our report from that day.
The American's advantage has evaporated.
The leaders are racing up the wall of the Valdepeñas de Jaén, visited by the Vuelta in 2010, 2011, 2013, and 2021.
Steinhauser has caught Vermaerke.
The German has passed Vermaerke and left him behind now.
It's 11.9km at a 7.2% average gradient.
40 seconds between Steinhauser and the rest of the break.
The peloton is at 7:20.
They're just about to tackle the Valdepeñas de Jaén wall.
Jarno Widar at the rear of the peloton.
Vermaerke on the attack earlier on. He's back in the breakaway group now.
Guillaume Martin has attack from the break in pursuit of Steinhauser.
Martin's teammate Clement Berthet is up to virtual fifth overall at the moment.
The Frenchman was 10th at 11:06 to start the stage.
Iván Romeo is at the front of the peloton now with Mas behind him.
Movistar still have two men up the road, of course.
They're 50 seconds clear at the front.
Vermaerke attacks again behind. Aparicio goes with him.
Steinhauser off the front.
Only around 25 left in the peloton.
Aparicio is coming across to Steinhauser and Martin.
Further back, the break is falling apart.
Brenner, Zana, Paret-Peintre attack behind.
More riders are coming across to the front.
Zana, Brenner get across.
Now five out front as another group chases.
Buitrago, Sosa, Paret-Peintre among the chasers at 15 seconds.
EF to the front in the GC group and they're setting up Carapaz.
Aparicio attacks at the front again.
Steinhauser chases him as seven others follow.
Carapaz now on the front with Mas, Roglič, Gall.
Berthet attacks the group behind Aparicio.
Castrillo now back with the GC group.
Jack Haig now pacing the GC group for Oscar Onley.
Aparicio has 30 seconds on the rest of the break.
No moves among the GC men yet.
Tejada has been brought back by the GC men.
Meanwhile, Almeida is slowly working his way through the group behind Aparicio.
Castrillo now leads the GC group.
Steinhauser has dropped back from the chase. Now it's Marco Brenner chasing Aparicio.
Buitrago, Rodríguez, Paret-Peintre just behind.
15% gradients for the leaders.
Buitrago is now dropping Brenner.
Aparicio dropped by that group.
Brenner, Paret-Peintre, Rodríguez chasing Buitrago.
5:40 back to the GC men.
Rodríguez is leaping up the virtual standings. He was 11:10 down on Mas at the start of the day.
Castrillo is still pulling the GC group.
Mas attacks!
Just a small move.
Skjelmose is dropped.
The GC men on the steep part now. Carapaz attacks.
Gall and Mas chase Carapaz.
Roglič also with them.
Sosa now up with Rodríguez behind the two leaders and Paret-Peintre has dropped away.
Meanwhile, Gall attacks and Mas follows.
Roglič leads Carapaz across and then goes to the front.
No separation among the big four GC men.
Sosa is now leading the breakaway men.
Buitrago attacks from the back of the group.
Brenner follows.
It's a flatter final run to the line.
Buitrago leads Brenner.
Uphill again in the final metres.
300 to go.
Brenner goes through.
He leads around the final bend.
Buitrago second, Rodríguez third, Sosa fourth.
The GC men are just hitting the final 2km. Raúl García Pierna is on the front.
Roglič and Carapaz have dropped!
A big turn on the front by García Pierna.
Gall is with Mas and García Pierna.
No time gaps at the moment.
Gall to the front now.
Roglič leaves Carapaz behind.
Gall and Mas are heading to the final kilometre.
They look to have around 15 seconds on Roglič.
García Pierna back on the front in the final kilometre.
Over three minutes since Brenner finished now.
Into the final 300 metres now.
Gall and Mas sprint uphill.
Gall leads the way.
The duo finish at 4:14 down.
Now we wait.
Roglič crosses the line at around 4:39 down.
It looks like he's lost around 25 seconds to Mas and Gall.
Mas and Gall finished 4:12 down. Roglič lost 25 seconds at 4:37. Carapaz finished a further six seconds back.
Gall leapfrogs Roglič to second overall, four seconds up on the Slovenian.
Brenner celebrates the stage win.
Mas now has 2:06 over Gall and 2:10 over Roglič. Carapaz is fourth overall at 4:24.
Race leader Enric Mas holds off multiple attacks in chase group to hold GC lead while Felix Gall moves to second overall
Gall and Mas cross the line together.
Meanwhile, Roglič lost time at the top.
It's another day in red for Enric Mas.
The leadership of the other jerseys remains the same, too, with Santiago Buitrago, Wout van Aert, and Oscar Onley in polka dots, green, and white.
Here's what today's stage winner Marco Brenner had to say about his victory.
“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.”
Felix Gall only contender not losing more time to Spanish leader on heavy day of climbing in Andalucian mountains
That's all from me today.
Be sure to check the website this evening for more news from the Vuelta, including reaction from Mas, Gall, Brenner, and more.
And come back tomorrow for more live coverage of stage 15.
