In the finale though, when Del Toro and Carapaz ignited the attacking once more, Yates was unable to respond, eventually finishing the stage 15 seconds off the Mexican race leader. “Simon just couldn’t quite follow the punchy attack from Carapaz and Del Toro on the final climb,” Reef continued. “He did manage to ride away from the group of chasers, though. It wasn’t exactly a finale that suited him, so we’re satisfied to have kept the losses small. As a team, we made very few mistakes today. There’s still plenty to come on Friday and Saturday in terms of the GC. Hopefully, we’ll be able to show our strength again then.”
One of those satellite riders sent into the break for Visma on stage 17 was
Wilco Kelderman. Sadly for the Dutchman however, he couldn't make much of an impact when Yates and co caught up with him. “My own feeling wasn’t great today,” said Kelderman. “I tried to be there for Simon — that was the whole point of getting into the breakaway. We ended up getting further than expected. The GC guys came flying past. Unfortunately, I couldn’t do much more today, but the plan was there. We prepared well as a team, and I think Simon had another strong day, even if he did lose a few seconds at the end.”