No changes in the classification.
One of the shortest Grand Tour stages of the season took place this Wednesday, from Arnuero to Santander, the capital of Cantabria and a city known for having witnessed many bunch sprints in the past. The fast men were hoping at the start of the day that this would be the case again at the end of stage 17, but they were forced to work hard for that to happen.
The reason for this was a four-man breakaway who took advantage of the rain, wet roads and technical finale to put pressure on the peloton and stay off the front until three kilometers to go. As soon as they were caught, other men went clear and almost pulled it off, the bunch overhauling them within sight of the finish line, where Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck) finished victorious.
Mikel Landa and his T-Rex Quick-Step teammates concluded safely in the bunch, and the experienced Basque remained fifth in the ranking with four stages to go at the last Grand Tour of the season.
Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele / Getty Images
Mikel Landa 