The 17th stage of the Tour de France brought a historic victory to Ecuadorian cyclist Richard Carapaz, who managed to pace himself best in the trio of final climbs. The stage began with attempts at breakaways, which were quickly neutralized by the peloton. It wasn’t until 40 kilometers into the stage that a quartet of riders – Cort, Jungels, Grégoire, Benoot – managed to break away, but their lead over the peloton did not grow significantly. However, they maintained their position at the front for 100 kilometers, with Cort winning both the sprint and mountain points. It wasn’t until the beginning of the toughest climb up Col de Noyer that they were caught by the duo of French riders Martin and Madouas. This group of six, however, couldn’t catch up with Simon Yates and Richard Carapaz, who made a strong move to secure victory.
The main contenders only made their moves towards the end of the stage, with Pogačar launching an attack that was countered by Evenepoel and Hirt, reducing the overall gap by 10 seconds. However, this did not change much in the standings, with Pogačar inching closer to a potential double from the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France.
In the final sprint, Simon Yates managed to overtake the leading group with ease, securing a second-place finish. Enric Mas also put in a strong performance to claim third place, maintaining the same order as in the mountain classification.
The stage saw Richard Carapaz from EF Education-Easy Post claim his first-ever stage victory on the Tour de France, showcasing his climbing prowess and determination. The Ecuadorian rider, a former Vuelta winner and Giro king, displayed a dominant performance in the final climb to Superdévoluy, leaving his closest competitor, Simon Yates, trailing behind.
As the race unfolded, Pogačar found an unexpected ally in Georg Zimmermann from Intermarché, who provided valuable support. Evenepoel and Vingegaard kept a close eye on Pogačar, with the gap between them narrowing to just 30 meters according to TV graphics.
The final climb to the 1502m summit led all the way to the finish line, serving as a Category 3 climb measuring 3.8 kilometers with an average gradient of 5.9%. While the leading quartet battled it out, Pogačar made a decisive move to extend his lead in the general classification.
Overall, the 17th stage of the Tour de France showcased thrilling racing action, with Carapaz claiming a well-deserved victory and Pogačar consolidating his position as the race leader. The stage highlighted the fierce competition and determination of the riders as they tackled the challenging mountain terrain.