Stage 14

The road

At the start

La Pandera, narrow, steep and broken

Mads Pedersen finally won yesterday, running down Ackermann on the drag into Montilla, and the general classification has not moved in three days: Remco Evenepoel by 2:41 from Primož Roglič, 3:03 from Enric Mas. Today it should move. La Pandera is 8.6 kilometres of narrow, badly surfaced, relentlessly steep road to 1,872 metres, and the ten-kilometre climb to Villares runs straight into it.

How it was won

1. 154 km to go

   Carapaz leads over the first climb

   The break has four minutes with fifty kilometres left, after a long ride through the olive groves. Carapaz, best placed at nearly fifteen minutes down, is no threat — which is exactly why he has been let go.

2. 234 km to go

   Pedersen to 267 points, then to work

   The Dane leads through Jaén for another twenty points and an almost unbeatable green jersey lead — then rides on the front to hold the break together for Elissonde, pouring cold water over the Frenchman before easing up at the foot of the climb.

3. 315 km to go

   Something is about to happen

   Lutsenko splits the break on the 10km drag. Behind, Chaves surges, Jumbo-Visma lift the pace to isolate Evenepoel, and Ineos line it out for Rodríguez. The reduced peloton crests just 2:40 back and the air has changed.

4. 49 km to go

   Sánchez and Carapaz join forces

   Sánchez jumps away over the top and Carapaz, realising two are better than one, goes with him. Champoussin and Conca make it across with six kilometres of the exposed, barren Sierra de La Pandera to climb.

5. 56 km to go

   Roglič lands his counter-punch

   Chris Harper's long turn hurts everyone in the red jersey group, and the moment he swings off with four kilometres to go, Primož Roglič surges. Evenepoel cannot follow. For the first time in this Vuelta the Belgian is the one losing time, and the race is open again.

6. 6At the line

   Carapaz survives to the line

   The final kilometre drops steeply then kicks up again, and that is what saves him. With Roglič bearing down, Carapaz digs deep on the descent and holds on for his second stage of this Vuelta.

The result