s.t. indicates that the rider crossed the finish line in the same group as the one receiving the time above him, and was therefore credited with the same finishing time.
Coming out of the second rest day, the peloton gets a course with over 3,500 meters in total climbing. It includes two visits to the Alto de Velefique, one coming after 55 km and the other at the finish line. There is another first and a third-category climb on the day.[1][2]
This is undoubtedly the queen stage of the 2009 Vuelta. The special-category Alto de Sierra Nevada at the finish is, at 2,520 metres, the highest point reached in the race. But it is far from all this course has to offer – the deceptively difficult and steep third-category Alto de Berja comes almost immediately and is followed by the first-category Puerto de la Ragua. The Vuelta has never before gone over the Puerto de la Ragua from this side, and it is more difficult than climbing it from the opposite side. Another first-category climb, the Alto de Monachil, occurs near the end of the stage, though it is essentially just the halfway point to the Alto de Sierra Nevada.[1][3]
The riders have one more high mountain stage to go through before making it back to flat lands. Two third-category climbs and several uncategorized rises precede another special-category summit stage finish at the Sierra de La Pandera.[1][4]
This stage is branded as flat, though it begins at about 600 meters in elevation before descending to the valley below. It also includes the second-category Alto del Catorce por Ciento (which, despite its name, does not feature 14% gradients) 20 km from the finish.[1][5]
15 September 2009 — Córdoba to Puertollano, 170 km
This is the easiest stage the peloton will have seen since Catalonia, with only two early third-category climbs to disrupt an otherwise flat overall profile.[1][6]
This stage was thought to be a hard-fought reward for whichever sprinters fought their way through the heights wrought by the Vuelta's second week – it did not feature a single categorized climb. It was expected to see a mass sprint finish.[7] Contrary to expectations, Française des Jeux's Anthony Roux was able to hold off the chasing peloton to take the win by just a few meters.
17 September 2009 — Talavera de la Reina to Ávila, 175 km
This course has four categorized climbs, three of which are new to the Vuelta. The selection should take place on the first-category Puerto de Mijares, which comes at the halfway point of the stage.[1][8]
This is the Vuelta's last mountain stage. It includes two passes over the first-category Puerto de Navacerrada, the second of which crests 17 km from the finish. There is also quite a lot of descending to do on this stage, as the four categorized climbs all begin and end at roughly the same elevation. The finish comes on the descent from the last pass over the Puerto de Navacerrada.[1][9]
