Vuelta 2022 Favourites stage 17: Breakaway day

foto: Cor VosThe ascents are never excessively hard, but since the route of stage 17 is going either up or down from start to finish, the riders face an altitude gain of more than 2,700 metres. It's a beautiful day for the breakaway.

The race is played out in a remote area in Spain, on the border between Andalucía and Extremadura. The day opens with 20 kilometres on descent and following a lumpy middle section the riders enter a gently rolling climb of over 20 kilometres. A short downhill then makes way for the finish climb to the Monasterio de Tentudía.

The first 3 kilometres go up at 6.1%. The climb then levels out before the last 4.3 kilometres climb at 7.5% to the line.

There is hardly anything to be gained for GC riders on such a course, while it’s way too hard for sprinters. That leaves only one option: attackers battling it out for the stage honours.

Favourites 17th stage 2022 Vuelta a España

*** Marc Soler, Richard Carapaz, Rein Taaramäe, Jay Vine
** Alexey Lutsenko, Lawson Craddock, Jesús Herrada, Thomas De Gendt
* Vincenzo Nibali, Alejandro Valverde, Jan Bakelants, Louis Meintjes

Another interesting read: route 17th stage 2022 Vuelta.

Vuelta Stage 16

Vuelta Stage 18

Watch the highlights of recent races here:

Related articles