The seventeenth stage unfolded in a similar way to the day before. Right after the start in O Barco de Valdeorras, a twelve-man breakaway went up the road. Dylan van Baarle and Wilco Kelderman set the pace at the front of the peloton. With the summit finish on Alto de El Morredero - a first-category climb - looming, the Dutch duo kept the escapees within reach.

At the foot of the final climb, the breakaway was caught, leaving the general classification contenders to battle it out. After strong work from Matteo Jorgenson, Sepp Kuss, and Ben Tulett, only an elite group remained. A few kilometers from the finish, Pellizzari launched the decisive attack. Seconds later, Vingegaard crossed the line in fourth place. The Dane gained two seconds on João Almeida, giving him a 50-second lead in the general classification.

“The differences were really small today”, Vingegaard says afterwards atop Alto de El Morredero. “We had hoped for the victory beforehand, but I didn’t have my best day. You just need to survive those days, and I managed to do so. To still gain two seconds on Almeida is of course a nice bonus.”

Sports director Jesper Mørkøv analyzes: “Our goal today was indeed to go for the stage win. Dylan and Wilco once again did fantastic work. Then we had four riders up front for a long time and were well positioned. Jonas didn’t have his best day, but he was able to respond to the attacks. We still have the red jersey and are in a strong position in the general classification. We can be proud of that.”

Tomorrow, an individual time trial awaits. In Valladolid, the riders face a 27-kilometre course. The final weekend will then bring one more summit finish and two flat stages. “Hopefully I’ll have a good day on the time trial bike tomorrow. It’s almost completely flat. We’ll see, but I’m looking forward to it”, Vingegaard concludes.