Vuelta a España 2023 – Stage 14 preview

By published

September 9: Sauveterre-de-Béarn to Larra-Belagua, 156.5km

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The profile of stage 14 of the Vuelta a Espana
The profile of stage 14 of the Vuelta a Espana (Image credit: La Vuelta)

Stage 14: Sauveterre-de-Béarn to Larra-Belagua

Distance: 156.5km

Stage type: Mountain

The day after climbing the might Col du Tourmalet in the high Pyrenees, the  Vuelta a  Espana peloton faces more fatigue in the French Pyrenees, with three major climbs in just 156.5km of racing.  

The opening 50 kilometres are in the valley roads, making it difficult for a break to get away. Then the 11km Col Hourcere on the Spanish border will hurt, and so will the Puerto de Larrau. 

The profile of the Puerto de Larrau includes lots of dark red sectors, confirming gradients over 10%. A dip near the summit reduces the average gradient to 8.9% across the 14.9km climb but this will hurt.

The stage seems ideal for a quality breakaway from the best pure climbers in the Vuelta but the mountain finish atop the Puerto de Belagua at 1587m also offers an opportunity for the GC contenders to attack and gain some seconds on their rivals. Indeed, this last moment in the Pyrenees could see the last change in the race leadership before the final week to Madrid.  

Stephen Farrand
Stephen Farrand
Editor-at-large

Stephen is one of the most experienced members of the Cyclingnews team, having reported on professional cycling since 1994. Before becoming Editor-at-large, he was Head of News at Cyclingnews. He has previously worked for Shift Active Media, Reuters and Cycling Weekly. He is a member of the Board of the Association Internationale des Journalistes du Cyclisme (AIJC).

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