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.
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