Following a peak with 73.2 kilometres remaining and a climb that’s crested with 17.9 kilometres left, the Alto de los Machucos is the absolute eye-catcher of the day. No doubt this monster is going to decide on the winner. The steepest ramps are 26%, while the climb is averaging 8.7%.
The earlier climbs in the 17th stage of the Vuelta a España are the Portillo de Lunada (8.3 kilometres at 5.8%) and Puerto de Alisas (10 kilometres at 6%). For sure, the Alisas is no picnic, but at least it’s a regular climb, while Los Machucos is quite the opposite. The ascent totals 7.3 kilometres and the gradients go nuts once you hit the first slope. A section at 17.5% is followed by a 10% drop before the riders face ramps of 26%. Another short drops runs up to a 25% slope. And on you go, although the gradients mellow out a but between kilometre 3 and kilometre 6. That is, they are less extreme as the average gradient in this section is 13.4%. The last kilometre is a drop before the last stretch is a false flat to the line.
What’s it going to be, escapees or GC contenders? With a hilly section of approximately 100 kilometres running to the doable Portillo de Lunada it’s likely that we’ll see a front group entering the grueling finale with a considerable advantage. If there are strong climbers on board, it could be up that they survive the Puerto de Alisas and Alto de los Machucos and celebrate a grand victory on the summit of the monster mountain.
Favourites 17th stage 2017 Vuelta
*** Thomas De Gendt, Rafal Majka, Miguel Ángel López, Alberto Contador
** Esteban Chaves, Chris Froome, Jan Polanc, Sander Armée, Michael Woods
* Adam Yates, Wilco Kelderman, Romain Bardet, Simon Yates
Vuelta 2017 stage 17: Route maps, height profiles, and more
Click on the images to zoom
Related articles The Route - Vuelta 2017 Riders - Vuelta 2017 Withdrawals - Vuelta 2017 Favourites - Vuelta 2017 Start times time trial - Vuelta 2017 GC Favourites - Vuelta 2017 More articles Tour de France 2019: Ewan outguns Groenewegen, Alaphilippe still leader
Tour de France 2019 Route stage 12: Toulouse - Bagnères-de-Bigorre
Tour de France 2019 Favourites stage 12: Strong descenders in first Pyrenees race
Tour de France 2019: Withdrawals
Tour de France 2019: The Route
Tour de France 2019: Riders
Tour de France 2019 Route stage 11: Albi - Toulouse
Tour de France 2019 Route stage 13: ITT in Pau
Tour de France 2019 Favourites stage 13: Rohan Dennis versus Wout Van Aert
Tour de France 2019 Route stage 14: Tarbes - Col du Tourmalet
Tour de France 2019 Favourites stage 14: GC or breakaway battle on iconic Tourmalet
Tour de France 2019 Route stage 15: Limoux - Prat d'Albis
Tour de France 2019 Favourites stage 15: Power to the Colombians
Tour de France 2019 Route stage 16: Nîmes – Nîmes
Tour de France 2019 Favourites stage 16: Sprint fest in Roman city
Tour de France 2019 Route stage 17: Pont du Gard - Gap
Tour de France 2019 Route stage 18: Embrun - Valloire
Tour de France 2019 Favourites stage 18: Fly down the Galibier
Tour de France 2019 Route stage 19: Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne - Tignes
Tour de France 2019 Favourites stage 19: Attacks on all fronts
Tour de France 2019 Route stage 20: Albertville - Val Thorens
Tour de France 2019 Favourites stage 20: GC battle on mega-long last climb
Tour de France 2019 Route stage 21: Rambouillet - Paris
Tour de France 2019 Favourites stage 21: Elysium sprint of the heroic
Tour de France 2019 KOM classification stage 11: Wellens' polka dot journey continues
Tour de France 2019 KOM classification stage 12
Tour de France 2019 KOM classification stage 14
Tour de France 2019 KOM classification stage 15
Tour de France 2019 KOM classification stage 16
Tour de France 2019 KOM classification stage 17
Tour de France 2019 KOM classification stage 18
Tour de France 2019 KOM classification stage 19
Tour de France 2019 KOM classification stage 20
Tour de France 2019 KOM classification stage 21
La Course 2019: Riders
La Course 2019: The Route
Tour of Britain 2019: The Route
Tour of Britain: Winners and records
Tour de France: Winners and records
Vuelta 2019: The Route
Vuelta 2019: Riders
Vuelta 2019 Route stage 1: Las Salinas de Torrevieja - Torrevieja
Vuelta 2019 Route stage 2: Benidorm - Calpe
Vuelta 2019 Route stage 3: Ibi – Alicante
Vuelta 2019 Route stage 4: Cullera – El Puig
Vuelta 2019 Route stage 5: L’Eliana – Javalambre
Vuelta 2019 Route stage 6: Mora de Rubielos - Ares del Maestrat
Vuelta 2019 Route stage 7: Onda – Mas de la Costa
Vuelta 2019 Route stage 8: Valls – Igualada
Vuelta 2019 Route stage 9: Andorra la Vella – Cortals d’Encamp
Vuelta 2019 Route stage 10: Jurançon - Pau (ITT)
Vuelta 2019 Route stage 11: Saint Palais - Urdax
Vuelta 2019 Route stage 12: Circuito Navarra - Bilbao
Vuelta 2019 Route stage 13: Bilbao - Los Machucos
Vuelta 2019 Route stage 15: Tineo - Santuario del Acebo
Vuelta 2019 Route stage 16: Pravia - Alto de La Cubilla
Vuelta 2019 Route stage 18: Colmenar Viejo – Becerril de la Sierra
Vuelta 2019 Route stage 21: Fuenlabrada - Madrid
Vuelta a España: Winners and records
Clásica de San Sebastián: Recent Winners
BinckBank Tour: Winners and records
Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec: Winners and records
Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal: Winners and records
World Cycling Championships: Winners and records
History of the Tour of Lombardy
Tour of Lombardy: Winners and records
Tour of Flanders 2019: Alberto Bettiol solos to glory
Tour of Flanders 2019 - women: Bastianelli bests Van Vleuten and Ludwig in three-up sprint
Cycling Calendar 2019
Tour of Valencia 2019: Groenewegen wins last stage, Izagirre overall winner
Win a free cycling jersey!
Tour Down Under 2014 Route stage 1: Nuriootpa - Angaston
Tour Down Under 2014 Route stage 2: Prospect - Stirling
Race Results Service
Instagram @lavuelta
Vuelta a España Tweets
Hi Guys, dont you think you should have a re look at your favorites after two week of the Vuelta ? You keep on predicting (hoping?) that the two Yates brothers are favorites for the win, but they get destroyed by another young rider Louis Meintjies. I am amazed that he as a young rider is holding on to the top riders like a toffee.I think Meintjies, riding a second grand tour in succession, young rider, not having the support as most riders of the other teams, is worth mentioning. If you look at riders riding two grand tours in succession, he is surely within the top six ? Thank you. I enjoy your articles and information, Regards.