"When the top guys started, they had one more gear" - Carlos Rodriguez drops further away from the podium on stage 17 of 2024 Tour de France

Carlos Rodriguez lost more than two minutes to Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel, who are currently in the top three positions in the general classification respectively on stage 17 of the 2024 Tour de France.

Eventually, Rodriguez came home in 44th position, in a group that also included the likes of Derek Gee, Santiago Buitrago, Felix Gall, Giulio Ciccone, Joao Almeida, Adam Yates, Mikel Landa, Ilan Van Wilder, Matteo Jorgenson, Carlos Verona and Harold Tejada, 9:26 behind stage winner Richard Carapaz, 2:13 behind Evenepoel, 2:03 behind Pogacar and 2:01 behind Vingegaard.

"When the top guys started, they had one more gear, so I couldn't go out with them. I lost time for the podium, but I kept up with the rest of the rivals for fourth place. Now comes the important part," said the Spaniard in his post-stage interview, referring to the four remaining stages and especially the last three.

On Thursday, July 18, we will have an ideal route for a breakaway, with five third-category passes along the way. Friday 19 will be one of the toughest days, with two special climbs (Col de Vars and Cime de la Bonette) and a first-category finish (Isola 2000). Saturday 18 will also be a tough day, with one second (Col de Braus) and three firsts (Col du Turini, Col de la Colmiane and the finish at Col de la Couillole). And on Sunday 19, the finish in Nice, with a time trial of 33.7 kilometres in which they will have to climb La Turbie, a second category pass.

In the general classification, the INEOS Grenadiers rider, who took a stage win at the 2023 Tour de France, remains in sixth place, 13:30 behind race leader Tadej Pogacar and 8:21 behind Remco Evenepoel on the podium. He is also ahead of Jonas Vingegaard, Joao Almeida and Mikel Landa.