Vuelta a España: Stage 17
Parcours preview
Distance: 184.5km
Category: Rolling
Highest point: 1,240m
The second rest day comes at the end of the Pyrenean stages and before the final encounter with the mountains in Asturias. Burgos has become one of the Vuelta's preferred stepping-of points after transitioning through the Pyrenees, featuring most years on the route since the mid-90s and usually ending in a bunch sprint, with Mark Cavendish, Óscar Freire and Alessandro Petacchi among former victors. Two third-category climbs in the second half of the stage provide reason for optimism among those who get into the break of the day. However, the second of them tops out 50km from the finish, giving the sprinters' teams plenty of time to chase down the day's hares.
José Azevedo: "This is not a hard stage. The only complication could be the wind, as it's very open around Logroño and Burgos and you're pretty high up at around 800m all day. The sprinters' teams should take control. It's one of the six or seven days that suit them."
Don't forget to download the Cyclingnews Tour Tracker mobile app for live coverage of the Vuelta!
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Peter Cossins has written about professional cycling since 1993 and is a contributing editor to Procycling. He is the author of The Monuments: The Grit and the Glory of Cycling's Greatest One-Day Races (Bloomsbury, March 2014) and has translated Christophe Bassons' autobiography, A Clean Break (Bloomsbury, July 2014).
Latest on Cyclingnews
-
'The best result we could have done' – No regrets for Tim Merlier and Soudal-QuickStep at Gent-Wevelgem despite criticism over chase
Sprinter struggles his way to second place after not wanting to start, adding to team's fourth at E3 and second at Omloop in Classics rebuild -
'She is insane' – Lorena Wiebes ticks off 100th victory with Gent-Wevelgem win
Dutch rider reaches big milestone earlier than expected with a signature stinging sprint -
'She is the strongest right now' - Elisa Balsamo second to Lorena Wiebes in Gent-Wevelgem
Lidl-Trek's efforts to break peloton into echelons fails as wind peters out -
'It could have been a stupid move' – Bold, brave effort pays off for Mads Pedersen in Gent-Wevelgem
'Don't expect me to do that all the time' - Pedersen acknowledges long-range attack could have failed