Philippe Gilbert won stage 17 at the Vuelta a España from Aranda de Duero to Guadalajara on Wednesday as Nairo Quintana rode himself back into overall contention.
The Deceuninck-Quick Step rider from Belgium needed all of the 219.6km route to claim victory, just getting the better of Sam Bennett in the finishing straight. Gilbert benefited from having his teammates nearby after crosswinds had caused huge splits in the peloton, enabling him and his team to control the stage.
The race leader, Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma), missed the decisive split, along with Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates), Miguel Ángel López (Astana) and Alejandro Valverde (Movistar), which allowed Quintana to move up to second overall.
The Movistar rider finished five minutes and 29 seconds ahead of the quartet, while it was also a good day for Gilbert’s teammate James Knox as the 23-year-old Briton broke into the top 10. The Colombian now sits two minutes and 24 seconds back, with two of his favoured mountain stages still to come as the race nears its conclusion.
The Vuelta continues on Thursday with the 177.5km stage from Comunidad de Madrid to Becerril de la Sierra.
