Preview - Vuelta a Espana 2022 stage 17

The peloton of the Vuelta a Espana will travel further north into Extremadura for an interesting day. It will be a very hot and dry day certainly as the peloton will ride through a rather unpopulated part of Spain, however the competition will remain fierce as the riders will tackle a hilly profile.

Starting in Aracena, the riders will not find pan-flat terrain, instead a slight tilt either uphill or downhill for the first half of the day where the breakaway will be settled. The second half won’t be too different, however most will be eying a specific point of the day as the riders arrive near Tentudía.

The run-in will feature many small hilltops, however the final climb should decide the stage. Into the Monasterio de Tentudía, the riders will find a very inconsistent climb. The first 2.3 kilometers are at 7.1%, whilst the last 4.1Km are at 7.5%. Officially however, the climb is 9.4 kilometers at 5.2%, meaning the middle section features a bit of false-flat terrain, both up and downhill.

However it is a climb for those with a big engine. The only switchback comes in sight of the line, and it is in those final four kilometers that the differences can be made. It will be a scenic finale no doubt, but for there to be gaps the race has to be attacked hard in those kilometers.

CyclingUpToDate prediction:
**** Remco Evenepoel
*** Enric Mas, Miguel Ángel López
** Primoz Roglic, Jay Vine, Richard Carapaz
* Juan Ayuso, Carlos Rodríguez, João Almeida, Marc Soler