Stage 17

The road

At the start

The Angliru, and twenty-nine seconds

Bejes brought Jonas Vingegaard to within 29 seconds of his own domestique, with Primož Roglič third at 1:33 — and Jumbo-Visma still have not said which of the three they are riding for. Today is the day that asks them: 122 kilometres over the Colladiella and the treacherous descent of the Alto del Cordal, then the Altu de L'Angliru, where the red jersey has changed hands four times and the gradient never once eases.

How it was won

1. 16 km to go

   Bardet strikes the Angliru

   On the near-vertical upper ramps of the Altu de L'Angliru Bardet surges away, and the increase in pace immediately spits out a struggling Evenepoel.

2. 22 km to go

   Roglič takes command

   With 2km of brutal gradient left Roglič takes over, spinning a tiny gear that cracks Poels and hurts Landa.

3. 32 km to go

   Kuss loses the wheel

   The moment of truth for Jumbo-Visma: 1.9km from the top Kuss cannot hold Roglič and Vingegaard, and the gap opens — does the team ride on or wait for the red jersey?

4. 41 km to go

   Angliru summit

   Destiny intervenes: Landa helps drag Kuss back to within 17 seconds at the top, with a fast downhill kilometre to the line and every second precious.

5. 5At the line

   Altu de L'Angliru

   Roglič wins the stage from Vingegaard, but Sepp Kuss sprints the corners to hold the red jersey by just eight seconds.

The result