Five talking points from stage 17 of the Vuelta a España 2021
Roglič moves a huge step closer to win number three, Bernal's brave efforts prove in vain, and Eiking drops from first to 11th


The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Thank you for signing up to The Pick. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
Terrific Roglič leads again
Primož Roglič is within touching distance of securing a third consecutive Vuelta a España.
His two crashes last week raised the suggestion that the Slovenian could struggle in the race’s final, crucial week, but the Jumbo-Visma man laughed at such a prospect with an utterly spectacular display of superiority on stage 17.
Roglič, who had ceded the red leader’s jersey to Odd Christian Eiking a week ago, responded to Egan Bernal’s attack 61km from the line, and then on the final climb to Los Lagos de Covadonga in the pouring Asturias rain, it was he who made the attacking move, immediately putting several metres into Bernal that grew to over a minute.
>>> 'I didn’t think, I just went': Roglič revels in 'real racing' on Vuelta a España stage 17
The 31-year-old soloed to the line, displaying his characteristic poker face and pushing out a smooth cadence, eating up the tough, brutal gradients as if he were out on a training ride.
By the end, he finished 1-39 ahead of six of his other rivals, jumping back into the race lead and extending his advantage over Enric Mas considerably, now leading by 2-22.
It's on days like this when you really need to take a minute and appreciate just how strong – mentally and physically – Roglič is.
A third red jersey is richly deserved, and all he needs to do now, with a lead of over two minutes, is stay on his feet, and he can add Grand Tour title number three to his palmarès.
Bernal's exciting move comes to nothing
Giro d’Italia winner Egan Bernal had confidently stated after stage 16 that he was ready to attack as he had nothing to lose.
Today we learned that we really ought to take the Colombian at his word, for that is exactly what he did, his bold endeavours resulting in the most exciting stage of the Vuelta.
On the second climb of La Collada Llomena with just under 62km still to race, Bernal attacked midway up the ascent’s slopes, bringing with him Roglič and setting a rhythm that everyone behind was unable to match.
It would have frustrated but not surprised Bernal that Roglič, 2-45 superior to him, jumped on his wheels, effectively nullifying any prospect of the Ineos Grenadiers man moving into the race lead.
As the climb to Lagos de Covadonga began, the duo had a lead of around two minutes to their GC rivals, but it was here when Bernal seemed to pay for his efforts, allowing Roglič to attack him and suffering to maintain the distance he had to Enric Mas, Sepp Kuss, Miguel Ángel López and Adam Yates.
With around 1.8km to go, the quartet caught Bernal and they, along with Gina Mäder and Jack Haig, all finished together, rendering Bernal’s early efforts ultimately useless.
Even if it didn’t go how Bernal intended, he deserves huge kudos for lighting up what has been a fairly boring Vuelta.
Eiking drops out of the top-10
Odd Christian Eiking will not be winning this year’s Vuelta a España.
It’s a statement that, said a week ago, would have been met with a ‘well, of course not’, however thanks to his stage 10 performance the Norwegian has spent over a week untroubled in red.
But on the Vuelta’s first proper relentless mountain stage, tasked with three monstrous climbs and a pent-up peloton let by Primož Roglič, Eiking was unable to keep hold of his near-one minute lead and eventually finished 9-23 behind stage winner Roglič.
He was struggling in the back of the peloton with 100km to race on the first of two ascents of La Collado Llomena, and when Egan Bernal and Roglič made their move, Eiking only went further backwards, even falling on the wet, slippery roads after the second ascent of what proved to be his nemesis climb.
From there it was a job of limiting his losses to keep him in contention for a top-10 face. He eventually dropped to 11th, but is only 1-01 behind Gino Mäder (Bahrain-Victorious), a margin that is not insurmountable given the parcours of the final four stages.
Whatever happens in the coming days, the 26-year-old has shot himself into the limelight and can always proudly declare that he led a Grand Tour for seven stages. There’s not many bike riders who can say such a thing. Chapeau, Odd.
Movistar pair back into the podium spots
The opening two weeks of the race has repeatedly showcased that Movistar have the best multiple-pronged attack in Enric Mas and Miguel Ángel López, and the duo further increased their probability of securing a place on the race’s podium.
López finished third, with the same time as Sepp Kuss, 1-35 adrift from Roglič, with Mas just a few metres back.
Of course the Spanish team came here to win the race outright, so there will be disappointed that their task looks like being unfulfilled, but after a few years of being the laughing stock on the Grand Tour stage, they will be taking a huge amount of optimism from their performance at the Vuelta.
Both Mas and López have been the most consistent riders in the race, with the exception of the race leader, and both seem to have found the form they once promised and both delivered previously in 2018.
Mas and López eventually caught Bernal probably more through the latter’s tiredness than anything else, but managing one’s own pace and knowing one’s own limits is a skill that Grand Tour champions have.
Two spots on the podium are not quite secured yet – Jack Haig is 35 seconds behind López in third – but it looks probable.
Other GC riders fail to get the better of each other
As for the rest, it was much of the same. But first, Guillaume Martin; it could have been a lot worse.
The Frenchman was second going into stage 17, and although he was to finish almost five minutes shy of Primož Roglič, he kept himself in the frame for a best-ever Grand Tour finish.
Martin rolled home a little over three minutes behind the other GC favourites, but only dropped three places to fifth, and is still ahead of Egan Bernal and Adam Yates.
It’s questionable if he can hold onto that position in the upcoming two mountain stages and final stage time trial, but he’s put himself in a great position to improve on his eighth place at this summer’s Tour de France.
Elsewhere, the performance of Roglič and the muted response of the rest means that for the others it’s all to play for in the hunt for the final podium spot and securing a high enough finish as possible.
Adam Yates moved up one place to seventh but still sits 1-34 off López, the same predicament that Sepp Kuss finds himself in.
Roglič is the best, but not much separates those who are supposedly his rivals.
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Chris first started writing for Cycling Weekly in 2013 on work experience and has since become a regular name in the magazine and on the website. Reporting from races, long interviews with riders from the peloton and riding features drive his love of writing about all things two wheels.
Probably a bit too obsessed with mountains, he was previously found playing and guiding in the Canadian Rockies, and now mostly lives in the Val d’Aran in the Spanish Pyrenees where he’s a ski instructor in the winter and cycling guide in the summer. He almost certainly holds the record for the most number of interviews conducted from snowy mountains.
-
-
Best long sleeved cycling jerseys 2023 for fall and spring riding, reviewed and rated
A long sleeved cycling jersey is a riding wardrobe staple, providing protection against cooler temperatures
By Hannah Bussey Published
-
‘Infectious positivity’ helped Jack Rootkin-Gray earn his first WorldTour ride with EF Education-EasyPost
Brit to make WorldTour debut in 2024 with Jonathan Vaughters managed American team
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Michel Hessmann anti doping positive a ‘black day’ for Jumbo-Visma says boss
22-year-old German rider suspended by Dutch team in August after positive test revealed presence of diuretics
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
How much did Sepp Kuss and Jumbo-Visma win at the Vuelta a España 2023?
Turns out locking out the podium for much of the race gets you quite a few Euros
By Adam Becket Published
-
Five things we learned from the Vuelta a España 2023: Sepp Kuss is the real deal and Ineos still lacking
Here's what we learned from the final Grand Tour of the 2023 season
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Kaden Groves wins final stage of Vuelta a España as Sepp Kuss confirms victory
Sepp Kuss completes his victory in the Vuelta a España around the streets of Madrid
By Chris Marshall-Bell Published
-
Sepp Kuss set to win historic Vuelta a España as Wout Poels claims stage 20
American poised for an unexpected but worthy Grand Tour victory in Madrid
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Remco Evenepoel powers to solo breakaway victory on stage 18 of Vuelta a España
Evenepoel seizes third victory of 2023 Vuelta at La Cruz de Linares as Sepp Kuss stays top of general classification
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Analysis: What is going on with Jumbo-Visma and Sepp Kuss at the Vuelta a España?
The man in the red jersey was attacked for the second day running by his teammates, for seemingly little gain
By Adam Becket Published
-
Jumbo-Visma tightens grip on Vuelta a España as Primož Roglič leads stage 17 podium blitz atop the Angliru
Sepp Kuss keeps the red jersey by eight seconds over Jonas Vingegaard going into the final four stages
By Tom Davidson Published