La Vuelta Stage 14 and 15 Preview
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The La Vuelta a Espana heads up the mountains for the second weekend in a row. Stages 14 and 15 are a couple more rough days where riders will earn that final Monday rest day.
Can Primoz Roglic gain back time on Remco Evenepoel? Stage 13 was a good deal less chaotic than Stage 12. Stage 14 is only 99.6 miles, but the final “Category 1” climb has some sinister punishment in store. Stage 15 is 95 miles in all.
Let us examine both stages and some possible winners and contenders among the picks to help with your cycling betting.
La Vuelta Stage 14 Outlook
As we mentioned, Stage 14 has one potential turning point. The finale ascent on Saturday could change the general classification again. There is this feeling punishment is coming.
Temperatures were quite toasty during Stage 13. Considering the Stage 12 crash of Remco Evenpoel, we will learn a good deal about his stamina level over the next two days. These may be the most important of the entire La Vuelta.
Now, how is Primoz Roglic really doing? He was not as fast in the time trial and even looked a bit slugging on Thursday., When will he finally look like Roglic? That is the big question. With riders like Jay Vine, Enric Mas, Marc Soler, and others lurking, nothing can be taken for granted.
Does Remco Evenepoel try to take the 14th stage? That is a great question.
The Stage 14 Odds Table
Yes, the grand tour stages can often have wrinkles all their own. Even Stage 13 on Friday had an unexpected result when Mads Petersen finally won a stage. He negotiated the hilly kicker and sprinted at just the right time, outlasting Bryan Coquard.
The key with Stage 14 is always this. Do the early climbs allow a breakaway to get too far ahead? Or will someone from the general classification decimate the breakaway and win the stage? That is always the question. The final climb up to Sierra de la Panerais is brutal. The mountaintop finish includes almost a mile, where the ascent averages out at 14.4%. That is just ugly!
Evenepoel and Mas have been the most consistent climbers and could be again on Saturday. Do not discount climbers like Jay Vine (who won two stages) or Richard Carapaz (shocking Stage 12 win). Carapaz appears to be getting back his legs after a rough summer.
Evenepoel at +800 would typically be our pick here, but the dilemma is that hematoma on his leg from that Stage 12 accident. Does that hurt at the most crucial moment? It did not seem to bother him on Thursday or Friday. However, there is a feeling that Enric Mas at +2500 is a rare longshot pick from us.
Peacock will stream the stage live in the States at 9 a.m. ET. Also, note The Guardian’s liveblog coverage and GCN’s recaps of stages as they happen.
What Might We Learn From La Vuelta Stage 15?
La Vuelta hits this weekend with a Stage 14 haymaker, then a Stage 15 knockout punch. The Alto Hoya de la Mora is a “beyond category” or especially challenging climb. Yes, the Sunday stage finishes at over 8,000 feet in elevation. Riders will feel this and be thankful Monday is a rest day.
Stage 15 features three climbs as the cyclists go from Martos to Mora. It might be just 95 miles but expect some brutality on Sunday. That last ascent is monstrous at about 12 miles yet has so many kickers in double digits (the overall is 7.9%), but that first section is one of the world’s most dangerous climbs.
Riders who can bounce back and pace themselves best have the biggest shot at winning on this day. The rarified air will do some strange things at this kind of altitude. Expect something unexpected.
La Vuelta Predictions
The books still like Remco Evenepoel and Richard Carapaz for Stage 14. Again as for Stage 15, it is anyone’s guess.
Remco Evenepoel finished in the top five during both weekend stages last week. There is a chance he may do that again and might eye the Saturday stage as a decisive shot to take. A rider like Thibault Pinot or even Marc Padun could win the Sunday stage, being so far down in the general classification.
Get ready for mountaintop attacks galore this weekend as we follow it with you on Twitter.
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