Tour de France: All over bar the shouting – Analysis

Primoz Roglic Col de la Loze Tour de France stage 17
Primož Roglič looked to have put the final destination of yellow jersey beyond doubt on the Col de la Loze (Image credit: Getty Images Sport)

Stage 17 of the Tour de France, a debut for the harrowing summit finish of the Col de la Loze, realistically marked the end of the fight for this year's yellow jersey. The latest installment in a general classification battle that has never really sparked into life saw Jumbo-Visma's Primož Roglič solidify his grasp on yellow, putting more time into his closest rival, Tadej Pogačar.

Some had hailed the steep slopes of the high-altitude Loze as an opportunity for Pogačar – by many estimates the strongest climber of the Tour – to put time into his compatriot, setting up a battle royale in the closing days of the race.

Dani Ostanek
Senior News Writer

Dani Ostanek is Senior News Writer at Cyclingnews, joining in 2017 as a freelance contributor and later being hired full-time. Before joining the team, they had written for numerous major publications in the cycling world, including CyclingWeekly and Rouleur.

Dani has reported from the world's top races, including the Tour de France, Road World Championships, and the spring Classics. They have interviewed many of the sport's biggest stars, including Mathieu van der Poel, Demi Vollering, and Remco Evenepoel. Their favourite races are the Giro d'Italia, Strade Bianche and Paris-Roubaix.

Season highlights from the 2024 season include reporting from Paris-Roubaix –  'Unless I'm in an ambulance, I'm finishing this race' – Cyrus Monk, the last man home at Paris-Roubaix – and the Tour de France – 'Disbelief', gratitude, and family – Mark Cavendish celebrates a record-breaking Tour de France sprint win.