Wednesday’s 17th stage of the 2025 Tour de France was one of the last opportunities for the sprinters, and on the wet streets of Valence, green jersey Jonathan Milan took a brace of wins in the 112th edition. The Italian also won Stage 8. Tadej Pogačar was unbothered in the yellow jersey. Guillaume Boivin was the top Canadian in 126th, one of many riders delayed by a crash at the red kite.
The Course
It was a stage with 38 km of an uncategorized ascent in the first third of 160 km from Bollène to Valence in Southeast France and two Cat. 4’s in its middle third, but it seemed like one for Milan, Merlier, Biniam or van Aert.
Only four riders bothered to go out in a breakaway. At the intermediate sprint, Milan took the fifth-most points. On Cat. 4 Col du Pertuis, Milan and Merlier momentarily lost contact with the peloton. Julian Alaphilippe and tenth place Carlos Rodriguez were involved in a crash. Wout van Aert attacked over the top of the other Cat. 4, Col de Tartaiguille, and tried to bridge.
After the descent of Targaiguille it started to rain hard, as Lidl-Trek, Soudal-QuickStep and Michael Woods pulled the train to the finish town of Valence. The quartet beat on until the field closed in and then attacks started to flare at the front.
Israel-Premier Tech was responsible for sopping up the final escapee with 4.4 km to go. They lost control among the roundabouts. Lidl-Trek grabbed the wheel with 2 km to race. There was a huge crash right at the red kite that hurt Girmay’s right shoulder. This meant a small group headed into the final 500 metres. Milan went hard from Position 3 far out and held off Jordi Meeus for the brace of wins.
Thursday swings for the fences with an all-HC-rated climbing queen stage in the Alps.
2025 Tour de France Stage 17
1) Jonathan Milan (Italy/Lidl-Trek) 3:25:30
2) Jordi Meeus (Belgium/Red Bull) s.t.
3) Tobias Lund Andresen (Denmark/Picnic-PostNL) s.t.
126) Guillaume Boivin (Canada/Israel-Premier Tech) +3:10
139) Michael Woods (Canada/Israel-Premier Tech) +3:35
2025 Tour de France GC
1) Tadej Pogačar (Slovenia/UAE-Emirates) 61:50:16
2) Jonas Vingegaard (Denmark/Visma-Lease a Bike) +4:16
3) Florian Lipowitz (Germany/Red Bull) +9:03
4) Oscar Onley (Australia/Picnic-PostNL) +11:04
5) Primož Roglič (Slovenia/Red Bull) +11:42
6) Kévin…
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