Vuelta a España: Marco Brenner fires searing acceleration on final corners of Sierra de la Pandera summit finish for stage 14 win

A general view of the peloton on stage 14 from Jaen to Sierra de la Pandera (Image credit: Getty Images)

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.

Kevin Vermaerke of UAE Team Emirates-XRG attacks (Image credit: Getty Images)

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.

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.

Georg Steinhauser of EF Education – EasyPost attacks in the breakaway (Image credit: Getty Images)

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).

GC favourites on the climb, with Enric Mas (Movistar), in the Red Leader Jersey, trailed by Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) (Image credit: Getty Images)

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.

Primož Roglič of Red Bull-Bora-Hhansgrohe crosses the finish line 25 seconds behind the race leader and moves to third overall (Image credit: Getty Images)