Vuelta 2014: Favourites stage 17 - Sprinters last chance, or… classics specialists
A ride along the coastline of Nothern Spain on rolling terrain. Loads of short climbs, whilst the final 18 kilometres are completely flat. Looks like John Degenkolb is up for glory once again. But what about the impact of the wind? (Slideshow route/profile)
If everbody stays on his bike and Degenkolb is alert when cross-winds have their say the German power-house is the man to beat. Already three times victor this Vuelta, he is not backing away from the string of hills making up today’s route. Furhermore his biggest rival as it came to sprints this Vuelta, Nacer Bouhanni, abandoned a few days ago. Leaving only Michael Matthews as a sprinter who won a stage. But to be honest, this arrival may be too flat for the Australian.
What is a group of escapees make it till te end? A rider with a break away fling is definitely Alessandro De Marchi, and maybe the terrain suits classics specialist such as Fabian Cancellara and Tom Boonen…
Favourites
John Degenkolb
Michael Matthews
Outsiders
Tom Boonen
Fabian Cancellara
Alessandro De Marchi
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