Vuelta’25 St.17: Protesters Can’t Stop Pellizzari

Race summary from LaVuelta.com –
Clad in the white jersey, Giulio Pellizzari opened his professional victory list in spectacular fashion by conquering the Alto de El Morredero on day 17 of La Vuelta 25. Two and a half months before his 22nd birthday, the Italian climber is the youngest stage winner in the Spanish Grand Tour since Tadej Pogacar’s first victories in 2019. Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe set a strong pace on the brutal final climb, and after a couple of accelerations from Jai Hindley to shake up the GC battle, Pellizzari counter-attacked inside the last 4 kilometres. He ultimately claimed victory ahead of Tom Pidcock (Q36.5) and Hindley, while Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike), 4th on the day, retained La Roja with a 50-second gap over Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates-XRG).

Click the image below to watch the last kilometer of stage 17.

The ninth and penultimate summit finish of La Vuelta 25 awaits the riders as they face an unprecedented ascent of the Alto de El Morredero. Starting from O Barco de Valdeorras (a new venue in the world of professional cycling), the peloton have 143.2 km of racing ahead of them, with almost 3,500 metres of elevation. The opportunities to shine are getting fewer and fewer.

Thankfully the police stepped in to protect the riders from another day of protests, and save the Vuelta organizers from letting the race become a complete shambles.

8 + 4 = 12 leaders

At the start, many attackers hint at a GC day, but they’re also eager to try and make it a breakaway day. After many attacks and counter-attacks, eight riders set off at km 25: Brandon Rivera (Ineos Grenadiers), Madis Mihkels (EF Education-EasyPost), Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious), Harold Tejada (XDS Astana), Patrick Gamper (Jayco AlUla), Luca Van Boven (Intermarché-Wanty), Timo Roosen (Picnic PostNL) and Jonas Gregaard (Lotto).

They are joined 15 kilometres later by Joel Nicolau (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA), Léandre Lozouet (Arkéa-B&B Hotels), Sergio Samitier (Cofidis) and Gijs Leemreize (Picnic PostNL). Mario Aparicio (Burgos Burpellet BH) also tries to chase them down, but he’s reeled in by the peloton, led by Jonas Vingegaard’s Visma-Lease a Bike.

Visma-Lease a Bike control the break

The gap is controlled at 1’50’’ at the bottom of the first climb of the day, Paso de las Travesias (cat. 3, summit at km 75.1). Joel Nicolau leads the way over the top and the attackers keep working together while Dylan van Baarle and Wilco Kelderman (Visma-Lease a Bike) maintain a tight leash.

Luca Van Boven and Timo Roosen accelerate at the intermediate sprint, in Almazcara (km 100, 43.2 km to go). The attackers get back together 5 kilometres later. This acceleration brings the gap to the bunch up to 2 minutes.

Antonio Tiberi accelerates a couple of times as the race heads into the last 30 kilometres. Harold Tejada follows him at the front. Samitier and Leemreize also bridge the gap, and the Spanish baroudeur is eventually the last rider to be reeled in, with 12 km to go.

Pellizzari means history

Jai Hindley’s Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe drive the peloton to the final climb (8.8 km at 9.7%), but it’s Visma-Lease a Bike who set the pace on the first gradients, the hardest of the climb. Hindley attacks with just over 6 kilometres to go. Jonas Vingegaard, Tom Pidcock (Q36.5) and Matthew Riccitello (Israel Premier Tech) cover his move. Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and Giulio Pellizzari (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) also make it back.

The latter, clad in the white jersey, counter-attacks inside the last 4 kilometres and rapidly opens a gap of 30’’. Riccitello tries to react, unsuccessfully. Two months and a half before his 22nd birthday, Pellizzari takes his first professional win, ahead of Pidcock (+16’’), Hindley (+18’’), Vingegaard (+20’’) and Almeida (+22’’).