Stage 17 Breakdown:

Stage 17 takes the riders on a rolling 174.7km journey from Chambéry to Voiron. Although officially classified as a flat stage, the route includes around 2200m of climbing, making it far more demanding than a traditional sprint stage. Coming immediately after the individual time trial and before three brutal Alpine stages, fatigue and team tactics will play a major role in deciding whether the sprinters or the breakaway come out on top.

The first 60 kilometres are the hardest, with a succession of short climbs including the Col des Prés, making it an ideal launchpad for the day’s breakaway. Once over the early hills, the terrain becomes less demanding but remains constantly rolling, preventing the peloton from fully settling down. The final kilometres into Voiron include a short uphill drag just a few kilometres from the finish before a fast run to the line, a finale that could discourage the pure sprinters and favour the more versatile fast finishers.

The battle to join the breakaway is expected to be fierce, as this represents one of the final opportunities for attackers before the race returns to the high mountains. Sprint teams may try to keep the race together, but after two exhausting weeks and with the Alps looming, they may struggle to control a strong group. If the peloton does arrive together, only the hardiest sprinters are likely to still be in contention.

Favorites:
| +++ | Mathieu van der Poel, Mads Pedersen, Wout van Aert
| ++ | Biniam Girmay, Kaden Groves, Tom Pidcock
| + | Jasper Philipsen, Axel Laurance