Tour de France 2024: Preview Stage 17

Stage 17 of the Tour de France returns to the Alps, finishing after 177.8 kilometers at the winter sports resort of Devoluy, making its Tour debut. The last 40 kilometers are particularly challenging. The riders face three categorized climbs in quick succession, with the final climb, the Côte de SuperDévoluy, being the “easiest.” If all goes as expected – which rarely happens in this Tour – the stage winner will likely be a strong climber from a breakaway group.

Stage 17 | 17 July | Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux to Superdévoluy | 177.8 km | 2,850 m elevation gain

Stage 17 starts in Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux and heads northeast through the Drôme department, passing the intermediate sprint in Veynes (kilometer 114.8) before reaching the Alpine town of Gap.

After a nearly 140-kilometer approach, the riders will climb in the Alps again, this time in the “Alpes du Sud” department. Unlike the Galibier, today’s climbs are shorter, favoring more explosive climbers.

The finale begins with the Col Bayard. This category-2 climb to 1,246 meters covers 6.8 kilometers with an average gradient of 7.3 percent. After a short descent to La Fare-en-Champsaur, the route trends upward before the climb to the Col du Noyer begins in Les Roberts. This category-1 climb is 7.5 kilometers long with an 8.4 percent gradient.

In addition to mountain points, the first three riders to reach the summit at 1,664 meters will earn bonus seconds. After an eight-kilometer descent, the final climb to the Superdévoluy ski station begins in Devoluy. The road climbs 3.8 kilometers with an average gradient of 5.9 percent, running exposed along the mountain to the third mountain finish of this Tour de France.

Favorites Check: Stage Win and Yellow Jersey

After the rest day and the relatively calm Stage 16, many riders will likely have regained their legs and will aim to join the breakaway.

The Alpine finale favors strong climbers and mountain specialists. Teams might send multiple riders into the breakaway: one or more to set a high pace on the flat sections and create a gap between the breakaway and the peloton, and others to finish strongly on the climbs.

This scenario could resemble Stage 15, but it’s unlikely that UAE Team Emirates or Visma-Lease a Bike will expend unnecessary energy in chasing down the breakaway. Therefore, the breakaway group could make it to the finish for the first time since Stage 2.

Riders from teams like Movistar, Ineos Grenadiers, dsm-firmenich PostNL, Jayco AlUla, Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe, Groupama-FDJ, and EF Education-EasyPost are expected to be the main protagonists.

A battle among the top ten GC riders on the penultimate climb depends on individual strength and the stage dynamics. It’s possible if one of the riders shows signs of weakness.

Even the Yellow Jersey holder, Tadej Pogacar, might attempt an explosive move on the upper part of the Col du Noyer and then tackle the relatively flat final climb to the finish solo. The key question is whether he will take that risk.

Stage 17 Classifications

Sprint Points

• Veynes | Kilometer 114.8

King of the Mountains

• Col Bayard (1,246 m) | Category 2 | Kilometer 145.7
• Col du Noyer (1,664 m) | Category 1 | Kilometer 166.3
• Côte de SuperDévoluy (1,502 m) | Category 3 | Kilometer 177.8

Time Bonuses

• Col du Noyer (1,664 m) | Kilometer 166.3

Header Image: © ASO