"For us it was important to get through this day unscathed" - Visma unable to make impact on stage 17 of the Vuelta a Espana after Wout van Aert's abandon

Stage 17 of the 2024 Vuelta a Espana was expected to see Team Visma | Lease a Bike front and centre of the drama. After Wout van Aert's sad abandon on stage 16 however, the team were almost invisible throughout the stage.

“The rain made the stage tricky,” Team Visma | Lease a Bike sports director Grischa Niermann reflected afterwards to the team's official website. “The teams that still had a sprinter aboard were eager for a bunch sprint. It was a treacherous stage with some steep climbs and difficult descents. The roundabouts and many turns, combined with a wet road surface, also made it hard. For us it was important to get through this day unscathed. On to tomorrow.”

As Niermann mentioned before the stage though, the race isn't completely over for Visma despite Van Aert's abandon leaving the team with morale low. "It is now up to us to keep going, because there are still opportunities this Vuelta. Sepp Kuss is close to a place in the top ten of the general classification. A stage win is still possible as well, although that wasn't on the cards today,” said Niermann.