Sports
Sprinters Eye Last Chance at Stage 17 of Tour de France 2025
BOLLÈNE, France — The stage is set for a thrilling sprint at Stage 17 of the Tour de France 2025 as riders tackle a flat 160.4-kilometer route from Bollène to Valence on Wednesday.
After the challenging ascent of Mont Ventoux, sprinters will look to seize their last opportunity for victory during the final week of competition. The race kicks off at 1:50 PM local time, with a projected finish in Valence around 5:10 PM.
Among the four-man breakaway leading the race are Vincenzo Albanese (EF Education–EasyPost), Quentin Pacher (Groupama–FDJ), Mathieu Burgaudeau (TotalEnergies), and Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X Mobility), who currently maintain a gap of 2 minutes and 47 seconds over the peloton. Axel Laurance (Ineos Grenadiers) initially attempted to join the break but has since given up his effort.
Commentator Sean Kelly noted the challenges of catching up with breakaways, emphasizing, “When you win quite a few, you kind of forget where they all are,” reminiscing about his past racing successes in the area.
As the sprinters’ teams work to control the pace of the peloton, they focus on a coordinated effort to catch the leaders before reaching the intermediate sprint at Roche-Saint-Secret-Béconne, located at 47.9 kilometers into the race, where points will be up for grabs.
Strong contenders for today’s stage win include Jonathan Milan from Lidl-Trek, who leads the points classification, and Tim Merlier from Soudal-QuickStep. Both teams are expected to work effectively to ensure a sprint finish and secure crucial points in the standings.
The day will feature two categorized climbs: the Col du Pertuis at 3.7 km and the Col de Tartaiguille at 3.6 km, though they are relatively mild compared to previous stages. Conditions for the race are projected to be warm, though riders will face strong winds that could impact team strategies.
As the peloton gears up for what could be an exhilarating finish, attention turns to whether the sprinters can execute their strategies to claim a stage win, with all eyes on Valence as the final kilometers approach.
