Stage 17 of the Vuelta a España is another big day for the GC riders.
Wednesday’s race is 143.2 km from O Barco de Valdeorras to the summit finish at Alto de El Morredero. The stage is mostly flat early on.
There are a few minor climbs before reaching Ponferrada and the base of the final ascent. The climb itself is 12.1 km long, averaging 7.9 per cent. However, the last 8.8 km averages a leg-breaking 9.5 per cent. (Ouch.) Steep gradients in the opening half of the ascent could prove decisive for the general classification. Breakaway riders such as Santiago Buitrago, Mikel Landa, and Bob Jungels could feature if they reach the climb fresh.
It all depends on what UAE and Visma – Lease a Bike have planned.
Jonas Vingegaard and João Almeida have been evenly matched in the past few summit finishes, but there is less than a minute between the two.
All it takes is one bad day for the Dane and one strong ride for the Portuguese rider to shake things up.
Stage 16 was dramatic, with Egan Bernal claiming a big win despite the course being shortened due to protests.
And remember, Thursday is a 27-km time trial. Vingegaard was cagey about his chances for the day—despite having some memorable rides in time trials.
But before the chrono, all the GC contenders have to make it through Stage 17.
To watch the race, tune into FloBikes.com. As always, Canadian Cycling Magazine will have a report and photos after! These last few days of the Vuelta are guaranteed to be exciting, so make sure you follow along.
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