Stage 17 of the Vuelta a España, which led to Lagos de Covadonga, promised to be decisive for the general classification. In addition to the well-know summit finish (12.5 km at 7%), the riders would face the climb of La Collada Llomena (7.6 km at 9.1%), a new difficulty that had to be completed twice.
And this 186-kilometer stage through Asturias proved to be intense right from the start thanks to the fight to create a breakaway. However, no rider managed to escape after an hour of racing, despite the Altu de Hortigueru (5.3 km at 4.7%) encountered after 35 kilometers. With no clear breakaway in sight, the contenders for the leader’s jersey, worn by Odd Christian Eiking, launched the hostilities in the first ascent of Collada Llomena.
Never surrendering, the Norwegian resisted the high tempo of his opponents until the second time on the Collada Llamena. It was in this climb, 60 kilometers from the finish, that Roglic (Jumbo) and Bernal (Ineos) distanced the rest of the pursuit of around fifteen riders. Part of this second group was Louis Meintjes (13th overall), who could rely on his teammate Jan Hirt as the rain appeared on the roads of the Vuelta. A wet asphalt that did not spare the red jersey, victim of a crash on the descent of the penultimate ascent as he was getting closer to the pursuit. This new setback did not bring down Eiking who, helped by Simone Petilli, fought bravely to reach the finish line.
An epic final climb saw a man-on-man battle between GC contenders, under rain and fog. Roglic won the stage and became the new leader of the race. Louis Meintjes took ninth place, solidly supported by Hirt (14th). The South African now occupies 12th place in the general classification, just behind Eiking (11th). The overall standings could change again tomorrow, with a mountaintop finish in Altu El Gamoniteiru, preceded by three more difficulties.
Odd Christian Eiking :
« Yesterday I said that I wouldn’t be disappointed if I couldn’t keep the jersey in this hard stage and I’m still thinking the same today. Those two weeks were fantastic and I’m very proud. Until today, luck have been on my side. Unfortunately I had back luck today, just before joining the group of favorites. I saw a crash in front of me and my wheel slipped on the very slippery surface. It is a pity, because without this time loss I would probably still have been close to the top 5 in the general classification tonight. The good thing is that I don’t have a bad injury. Of course I’m feeling stiff and we’ll have to wait until tomorrow before knowing how my body reacts to this crash. Louis and I are knocking on the door of the top 10 of the classification, so this is a nice goal for the coming days! »
“I grew as a rider.”
« Racing as the leader of the Tour of Spain made me grow as a rider, and the same counts for my teammates. So far, we managed to take control of the situation together. I’m feeling better every day and I’m surrounded by a strong and motivated team to defend this position. The closer we get to Santiago de Compostela, the more confident I am. The red jersey pushes us to better ourselves and maybe we can continue surprising. We can rely on the experience of our sports directors to take decisions and to pay attention on each detail. With no doubt it will be difficult to defend the jersey in the high mountains. If I can’t keep it, I’ll continue battling. With Louis Meintjes we’ve got a good candidate to finish in the top 10. No matter what happens during this third week, our Vuelta is a big succes already! »
Valerio Piva :
« I met Odd last winter and I knew that he had a great potential. He’s a modern rider with an explosive profile who can climb and position well. For several reasons, for example illness, he didn’t have the opportunity to show his worth this spring. Last month at the Tour de Wallonie he was in good shape and he shared his ambition to perform well in the Vuelta. With his 7th place in San Sebastian and his 2nd place in the Arctic Race of Norway, he showed that he was prepared for it. Owning the red jersey for six days confirms his qualities. In the next days, we will be confronted to the best GC riders in the world on a mountainous terrein and we’re curious to know where his potential will bring him. It is a question mark for all of us! »
Stage 17:
1.Primoz Roglic
2.Sepp Kuss +1:35
3.Miguel Angel Lopez
9.Louis Meintjes +2:29
14.Jan Hirt +3:43
23.Odd Christian Eiking +9:23
General classification:
1.Primoz Roglic
2.Enric Mas +2:22
3.Miguel Angel Lopez +3:11
11.Odd Christian Eiking +7:59
