Stage 14 of the 2026 Vuelta a España takes place today, Saturday 5 September, with the peloton racing 154.5km from Jaén to Sierra de La Pandera on one of the biggest general classification days of the second week.
The neutralised rollout begins at 12:15 BST, with racing officially starting at 12:33 BST. UK viewers can watch live on TNT Sports 3 and HBO Max from 13:30 BST, meaning television pictures arrive well before the first categorised climb.
The finish on La Pandera is expected between approximately 16:19 and 16:43 BST, with the central schedule pointing towards an arrival at around 16:30 BST.
For anyone unable to watch the entire afternoon, 15:15 BST is the best time to join. That should cover Puerto de Locubín, the increasingly difficult approach through Valdepeñas de Jaén and the complete 11.9km summit finish.
Our full Vuelta a España 2026 Stage 14 preview looks more closely at the battle between Enric Mas, Primož Roglič and Felix Gall and why La Pandera provides another major opportunity to change the race before the Stage 18 time trial.
Vuelta Stage 14 key UK viewing times
| Stage 14 point | Approximate UK time |
|---|---|
| Neutralised start in Jaén | 12:15 BST |
| Official race start | 12:33 BST |
| TNT Sports 3/HBO Max coverage starts | 13:30 BST |
| Puerto de Los Villares begins | 14:23-14:35 BST |
| Puerto de Los Villares summit | 14:44-14:58 BST |
| Intermediate sprint | 15:21-15:39 BST |
| Puerto de Locubín begins | 15:22-15:40 BST |
| Puerto de Locubín summit | 15:39-15:59 BST |
| Valdepeñas de Jaén | 15:45-16:06 BST |
| Sierra de La Pandera begins | 15:51-16:12 BST |
| Turn towards the harder La Pandera section | 15:58-16:20 BST |
| Expected finish | 16:19-16:43 BST |
The timetable is calculated around average speeds of 37, 39 and 41km/h. With around 4,300 metres of climbing packed into only 154.5km, the finishing window becomes quite wide once the race reaches the mountains.
How to watch Vuelta a España Stage 14 in the UK
TNT Sports 3 has live Stage 14 coverage from 13:30 BST.
The same race feed is available through HBO Max, which is now the streaming home of TNT Sports cycling coverage in the UK.
Our full guide to watching the Vuelta a España 2026 in the UK covers the wider broadcast arrangements across all 21 stages.
There is no complete free-to-air live broadcast in the UK, although Channel 5 carries Vuelta highlights.
For Saturday, the important point is that the 13:30 broadcast start is early enough. Unlike some stages where a major climb is already finished before television pictures arrive, the first classified ascent today should not begin until almost an hour later.
What time does Vuelta Stage 14 start?
The riders leave Jaén at 12:15 BST for the neutralised section.
The flag drops at 12:33 BST.
That gives the race 57 minutes before TNT Sports and HBO Max go live.
The opening part is rolling rather than flat, but the first categorised mountain does not begin until kilometre 82.3. Viewers joining at 13:30 should therefore have plenty of time to understand the breakaway situation before the GC teams begin using the climbs properly.
The opening hour is still important because this is where the day’s escape should form.
There are enough strong climbers well down the overall classification for the breakaway battle to be substantial, particularly when Movistar have little reason to chase riders who cannot threaten Mas’ red jersey.
Photo Credit: GettyWout van Aert won Stage 13 while Mas kept red
Friday belonged to Wout van Aert.
The Belgian spent the day in a huge breakaway before making the decisive move with around four kilometres remaining. Valentin Paret-Peintre was the only rider capable of following, but Van Aert was too strong at the finish in Loja.
Matthew Brennan completed the podium, giving Team Visma | Lease a Bike first and third.
Our Stage 13 race report covers how Visma used Van Aert and Brennan as two separate threats during a complicated finale.
Behind them, the GC group finished together.
That means Mas begins Saturday with the same advantages he established on Calar Alto.
Vuelta GC before Stage 14
| Position | Rider | Gap |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Enric Mas | Leader |
| 2 | Primož Roglič | +1:45 |
| 3 | Felix Gall | +2:06 |
| 4 | Richard Carapaz | +3:53 |
| 5 | Oscar Onley | +4:29 |
| 6 | Jakob Omrzel | +4:59 |
Gregor Mühlberger, who had been ninth overall, crashed out during Stage 13. His absence is particularly relevant for Gall because Decathlon CMA CGM lose one of the strongest climbing domestiques available to support him today.
What should you look for when coverage starts at 13:30?
The first question is not whether Mas or Roglič has attacked.
It is who has made the breakaway.
By 13:30, the race should have covered roughly 40km. A large escape may already be established, particularly if Movistar are satisfied that everyone inside it is safely behind Mas overall.
The size of its advantage will matter later.
If strong climbers reach Puerto de Los Villares with six or seven minutes, they have a real chance of contesting the stage while the GC favourites race separately behind.
If the gap remains around two or three minutes, the harder final 70km could bring everything back together.
Watch the teams contributing to the chase as well.
Movistar do not need to sacrifice their entire squad to deliver Mas a stage win. If Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe or Decathlon start helping early, it is a sign that Roglič or Gall may want the summit victory and its bonus seconds.
14:20 BST is the first important tune-in point
Anyone wanting to see all of the classified climbing should aim to be watching by around 14:20 BST.
Puerto de Los Villares begins between approximately 14:23 and 14:35.
It is 10.5km at 5.4%, topping out at 1,180 metres.
The climb itself is unlikely to produce a serious Roglič or Gall attack. Its importance is what happens to their teammates.
Red Bull and Decathlon can make Los Villares hard enough to begin reducing Movistar’s numbers without asking their leaders to expose themselves 60km from the finish.
If Mas still has several teammates over the summit, his afternoon is going well.
If he is already down to one or two, the later climbs become much harder to control.
Puerto de Los Villares should finish before 15:00
The summit is expected between 14:44 and 14:58 BST.
There are still 61.7km remaining.
This is not a stage where reaching the first summit means the finale immediately begins. The riders descend and cross more rolling roads towards Castillo de Locubín.
That transition could become important if riders have already been dropped.
A lull allows domestiques to return to the GC group.
Continued attacks make them work much harder to get back.
For Mas’ rivals, keeping the pressure on can be more useful than one spectacular acceleration on Los Villares itself.
15:15 BST is the best time to start watching Stage 14
If you only have around 75 minutes available, start at 15:15 BST.
This is the sweet spot.
The riders should be approaching the intermediate sprint at Castillo de Locubín, with the second classified climb beginning immediately afterwards.
From that point onwards, there is very little disposable racing.
You should get:
- the complete Puerto de Locubín
- the fight to isolate the GC leaders
- the descent towards Valdepeñas de Jaén
- the full approach to La Pandera
- the entire summit finish
- any GC attacks from Roglič, Gall or Carapaz
There is no need to wait until the final 20 minutes. By then the race could already have changed.
When does Puerto de Locubín begin?
Puerto de Locubín starts between approximately 15:22 and 15:40 BST.
The climb measures 8.7km at 5.1% and tops out with 21.3km remaining.
Again, the average gradient is not especially intimidating.
Its position is.
By now the riders have already covered more than 120km and accumulated a large amount of climbing. Anyone losing contact on Locubín has very little time to recover before La Pandera begins.
This is where the teams around Roglič, Gall and Carapaz should start using whatever climbing support they still have.
A hard pace can remove Mas’ remaining domestiques without requiring any of the principal contenders to attack yet.
Puerto de Locubín should be over by around 16:00
The summit is expected between 15:39 and 15:59 BST.
From there, the route heads towards Valdepeñas de Jaén.
This is the point where the stage becomes almost continuously relevant.
There is no long flat valley where the GC group can completely reorganise. The road continues changing gradient as the riders approach the official start of La Pandera.
Anyone watching from 15:40 onwards should expect the number of riders around the race favourites to fall rapidly.
What time does Sierra de La Pandera begin?
The official final climb begins with 11.9km remaining, expected between 15:51 and 16:12 BST.
La Pandera averages 7.2%, gaining 860 metres before the finish at 1,820 metres.
Those numbers make it sound more regular than it really is.
The opening section is relatively steady. The harder climbing comes after the riders turn right towards La Pandera with 8.4km remaining.
That point should be reached between approximately 15:58 and 16:20 BST.
From there, the gradient becomes much more irregular and repeatedly moves into double figures.
This is where riders who were merely surviving lower down should begin disappearing.
Is 16:00 BST too late to start watching?
It is just about safe, but there is risk involved.
At the fastest schedule, La Pandera will already have started by 16:00.
The leaders could be approaching the turn onto its harder final section within a few minutes.
At the slower end of the timetable, there could still be more than 20 minutes before that point.
If you are mainly interested in the final climb, 15:50 BST is much safer.
That guarantees the entire approach and removes the possibility of switching on to discover that Roglič or Carapaz has already attacked.
When are the hardest kilometres of La Pandera?
The decisive section should begin once the riders turn with 8.4km remaining.
The gradient becomes more inconsistent from there, with repeated double-digit sections.
The final four to five kilometres are particularly important.
Unlike a climb where everybody can ride tempo until the kilometre banner and then sprint, La Pandera provides enough steep road for meaningful GC gaps to develop much earlier.
That matters for Roglič.
He is 1:45 behind Mas and cannot recover that deficit by simply taking a handful of bonus seconds.
Gall is 2:06 down.
Carapaz is nearly four minutes behind.
All three need to start creating time somewhere, even if nobody expects the entire deficit to disappear today.
Mas can afford to make everyone else move first
Mas has the easiest tactical position among the main contenders.
He does not need to attack.
His Stage 12 ride on Calar Alto gave him another 27 seconds over Roglič and Gall, extending a lead that had already grown on Alto de Aitana.
That allows him to wait.
If Gall attacks too early, Mas can judge the move rather than automatically respond.
If Carapaz goes from distance, Movistar can decide how much of his 3:53 deficit matters.
Roglič is the rider Mas cannot give much freedom.
The Slovenian remains the biggest threat because the 32.1km Stage 18 time trial should suit him far better than Mas.
That gives the race leader an incentive to add more mountain time if the opportunity appears.
Roglič needs La Pandera to change the direction of the race
The biggest question today surrounds Roglič.
He came into the Vuelta seeking a fifth overall victory and remains second, but Mas has gained rather than lost time during the recent summit finishes.
That cannot continue indefinitely.
Roglič does not necessarily need to take a minute today.
Even 15 or 20 seconds would matter.
It would reduce the amount he needs to recover in the time trial and, just as importantly, prove that Mas is not untouchable in the mountains.
Another loss would have the opposite effect.
La Pandera also suits the kind of sharp acceleration Roglič can produce when the gradient moves into double figures.
The question is whether he has enough to distance the strongest Mas we have seen in years.
Gall faces La Pandera without Mühlberger
Gall’s 2:06 deficit remains recoverable, but his team has taken a significant hit.
Mühlberger’s Stage 13 abandonment removes a rider who had been consistently present deep into the mountain stages.
The Vuelta a España 2026 withdrawal tracker has followed a race increasingly affected by crashes, illness and the demands of the heat.
Gall still has climbing support, but Decathlon have fewer options for making Los Villares and Locubín hard before their leader has to respond himself.
Watch how many Decathlon riders remain around him at 15:45.
That could tell us a great deal about how aggressively Gall can approach La Pandera.
Carapaz has almost nothing to gain by waiting
Richard Carapaz begins the stage 3:53 behind Mas.
A controlled climb and another fourth-place finish do little for his hopes of winning the Vuelta.
La Pandera is also familiar territory.
Carapaz won here in 2022, when he was racing for the stage rather than the general classification.
He cannot expect the same freedom today, but the instinct required is similar. Carapaz tends to be at his best when a mountain stage becomes unpredictable and riders start attacking rather than waiting for the final few hundred metres.
He is one of the likeliest riders to move earlier than the immediate podium contenders.
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Photo Credit: Getty
Can the breakaway win on La Pandera?
Absolutely.
Movistar’s priority is Mas’ red jersey, not necessarily the Stage 14 victory.
If a group containing riders safely outside the GC reaches Los Villares with a large advantage, there is little reason for Mas’ team to chase it purely for prestige.
That would produce two separate races.
One for the stage.
One for red.
The complication comes from bonus seconds.
Red Bull may decide that Roglič needs the summit victory available, while Decathlon could reach the same conclusion with Gall.
Their willingness to chase will decide whether the escape still has a realistic chance once the first mountain begins.
The gap at 14:30 BST will therefore be worth watching.
When will Vuelta Stage 14 finish?
The official finish window is:
Fast schedule: approximately 16:19 BST
Central schedule: approximately 16:30 BST
Slow schedule: approximately 16:43 BST
The central estimate is the most useful guide, but do not tune in specifically for 16:30 and assume the race will still be going.
A fast opening, strong breakaway or aggressive GC pace could move everything forwards.
For a summit finish, ten minutes can contain the entire decisive attack.
Best time to watch Vuelta a España Stage 14 today
For UK viewers, the key times are:
- 12:15 BST: Neutralised rollout from Jaén
- 12:33 BST: Racing starts
- 13:30 BST: TNT Sports 3 and HBO Max coverage begins
- 14:20 BST: Join here to see all three classified climbs
- 14:23-14:35 BST: Puerto de Los Villares begins
- 14:44-14:58 BST: Puerto de Los Villares summit
- 15:15 BST: Best overall time to join
- 15:22-15:40 BST: Puerto de Locubín begins
- 15:39-15:59 BST: Puerto de Locubín summit
- 15:50 BST: Safest time for viewers only interested in the final climb
- 15:51-16:12 BST: Sierra de La Pandera begins
- 15:58-16:20 BST: Harder final section begins
- 16:19-16:43 BST: Expected finish
If you have the afternoon free, start at 13:30 BST.
If you want all of the serious climbing, 14:20 BST is enough.
If you only want the part most likely to decide the red jersey battle, 15:15 BST is the best option.
Stage 13 allowed Mas, Roglič and Gall to save something while Van Aert fought for victory several minutes ahead. La Pandera offers no such hiding place.
Saturday is back to the GC, and by around 16:30 we should know whether Mas has tightened his grip on the Vuelta again or whether Roglič and Gall have finally found a way to take time back.
