INTRO
Stage 15 closes out the race's first half with 189.7 km through the rolling hills north of the Guadalquivir valley, running from Palma del Río to the historic city of Córdoba. Three Category 3 climbs — Puerto de la Forestal, Alto de Villaviciosa de Córdoba, and Puerto de Artafi — punctuate the route without ever threatening a true selection, cresting the last one just 36.6 km from the finish. Expect a breakaway battle for the stage win before the peloton arrives in Córdoba ahead of the first rest day.
PLAN YOUR ROUTE
We've partnered with Sherpa-Map.com to bring you the best route planning tool. With a PRO Membership you can use this climb as a reference when creating your route. None of the three climbs bites hard: Puerto de la Forestal (6.7 km at 4.1%), Alto de Villaviciosa de Córdoba (5.76 km at 4.8%), and Puerto de Artafi (5.9 km at 5.6%) are all short, steady grades that a breakaway can manage without much drama. The terrain between climbs rolls constantly through Córdoba's countryside, but there's nothing here to force a GC selection — this stage belongs to the escapees.
The route crosses the Sierra Morena foothills through small towns like Espiel and Villaviciosa de Córdoba on well-surfaced regional roads with light traffic. The final approach into Córdoba along the Avenida del Brillante is wide and fast, delivering the peloton into the city's historic center. Parking is straightforward in Palma del Río; Córdoba's finish area will see significant road closures given the city's tight, historic street layout.
Standard road gearing is plenty here — none of the three climbs tops 5.6%, so a compact crank with a 25 or 28-tooth cassette handles the day comfortably. This is a distance and drafting stage more than a climbing test; a well-organized breakaway will matter more than gear choice.
Córdoba is one of Andalusia's great historic cities, home to the Mezquita-Catedral and a beautifully preserved old quarter — well worth a rest-day stroll given the stage finishes right before the Vuelta's first day off. The city has its own train station with fast connections to Madrid and Seville, and Seville's airport is under two hours away. Palma del Río, the start town, is a quieter agricultural hub with fewer visitor services.
ROUTE MAP
