As the Tour de France heads towards the Alps, stage 17 takes the riders from Bollène to Valence on what is a typical transition day in the third week of the race.
The sprinters that have survived the mountains thus far will try to muster up the strength to contest the stage win, but their teams may not have the firepower to keep the breakaway in check throughout the day, which could result in a shock victory for one of those up the road.
Given the flat terrain, it’s a fairly short stage at just 160km in length, and for many riders it will just be a case of trying to get through the day unscathed ahead of the mountain stages to come.
The run-in to the finish in Valence seems fairly straightforward, with the only difficulty being a left turn in the final few hundred metres, which will make positioning key for those wishing to contest the stage victory.
Stage 17 Sprints
- Roche-Saint-Secret-Béconne, km. 47.9
Stage 17 Mountains
- Col du Pertuis (cat. 4), km. 66.3
- Col de Tartaiguille (cat. 4), km. 117
