Vuelta 2025 Favourites stage 17: Hilly stage with steep mountain top finish

With the time trial next on the agenda, you’d expect the GC riders to save their legs in the race from O Barco de Valdeorras to the Alto de El Morredero. But what if you’ve got serious time to claw back and time trialling isn’t exactly your strongest suit? Then this stage is a golden opportunity to go all in. And with one GC rider on the attack, the others have to follow suit.

Stage 17 serves up 3,371 metres of climbing across 143.2 kilometres. The run-in is rarely flat, though the climbs aren’t especially daunting. An uncategorised ascent of 3.1 kilometres at 6% is followed by another of 5.3 kilometres at 4.1%, before the categorised Paso de las Traviesas throws in 7.8 kilometres at 4.1%. So, that’s hardly a daunting challenge.

No, everything comes down to the final climb. It rises 8.8 kilometres at an average of 9.7%, but with the road already dragging uphill for kilometres before, the finale is even more punishing. The first 5 kilometres of the climb average an eye-watering 11.6% (!).

Favourites 17th stage 2025 Vuelta a España

*** Jonas Vingegaard, João Almeida, Tom Pidcock
** Jai Hindley, Egen Bernal Jay Vine, Juan Ayuso, Mikel Landa
* David Gaudu, Santiago Buitrago, Felix Gall, Felix Großschartner

Another interesting read: route 17th stage 2025 Vuelta.