Rodriguez Reclaims Polka Dot Jersey in Tour de France Stage 17

Rodriguez Reclaims Polka Dot Jersey in Tour de France Stage 17

Rodriguez Reclaims Polka Dot Jersey in Tour de France Stage 17

📅24 July 2014, 11:00

Poland’s Rafal Majka has won his second stage of the Tour de France as Vincenzo Nibali enhanced his lead in stage 17. It was a 124.5km ride from Saint-Gaudens to Saint-Lary Pla d’Adet with four categorised climbs including a finishing ascent.

Nibali finished third in the stage, 46 seconds behind Majka, but more importantly he has increased his lead over Alejandro Valverde to 5 minutes 26 seconds. Thibaut Pinot remains third, six minutes behind Nibali, after finishing in eleventh place.

However, Jean-Christophe Peraud is now just eight seconds behind Pinot after finishing fourth just after Nibali in Wednesday’s stage. The two now face a battle to become the first Frenchman on the podium in 17 years.

The first hour of the stage was frenzied with the riders covering more than 50km; it also saw Joaquim Rodriguez miss the eight-rider breakaway. Instead the Spaniard made his move in the first of the day’s climbs, the category one Col du Portillon, and reached the summit first to reclaim the King of the Mountains classification lead from Majka who had begun the day in the polka dot jersey.

On the final climb of the day Majka caught up with the leading group then continued his energetic burst to the summit. Nibali once again showed his strength by quickly making ground to catch up the leading group, but Majka was accelerating on his own with 2.5km to go.

Valverde also put in an impressive effort and he is now 34 seconds clear of third place Pinot. The battle for podium places is sure to continue in stage 18, but no one looks to have a chance of catching Nibali.