Stage 17 Monumento Juan De Castillo - Santander (141.5km)
After a grueling second week, the sprinters finally get their chance in the seventeenth stage. Or so it seems. Despite two second-category climbs, the last fifty kilometers of the stage are almost flat.
On this Tuesday, the peloton travels from Arnuero to the Cantabrian capital, Santander. The Vuelta, still in the northwest of Spain after the rest day, has moved out of Galicia.
Arnuero, the starting point, has an interesting connection to the Portuguese opening weekend in Lisbon. Architect Juan del Castillo, who was responsible for five UNESCO World Heritage sites, was born here, and the stage will start from his statue. During the opening time trial, the riders passed the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, designed by Castillo. Beyond that, the village is one to forget quickly.
After a calm opening phase, the stage continues with a hilly section between kilometer forty and seventy. This includes the Alto de la Estranguada (7.8 km at 6.2%) and the Alto del Caracol (5.1 km at 6.6%), both second-category climbs. These aren’t groundbreaking climbs, so sprinters are likely to remain within striking distance.
After the Alto del Caracol, it’s mainly downhill and flat until the finish in Santander, where a sprint for victory is expected. The city has hosted many mass sprints in the past, a total of 35 times. The last was quite a while ago: Alessandro Petacchi won here in 2003.
| Date | Wednesday 04 September |
| Start |  Monumento Juan De Castillo |
| Finish | Santander |
| Distance | 141.5 km |
| Start time | 14:10 |
| Expected finish | 17:22 |
Stage 17 Monumento Juan De Castillo - Santander (141.5km)
After a grueling second week, the sprinters finally get their chance in the seventeenth stage. Or so it seems. Despite two second-category climbs, the last fifty kilometers of the stage are almost flat.
On this Tuesday, the peloton travels from Arnuero to the Cantabrian capital, Santander. The Vuelta, still in the northwest of Spain after the rest day, has moved out of Galicia.
Arnuero, the starting point, has an interesting connection to the Portuguese opening weekend in Lisbon. Architect Juan del Castillo, who was responsible for five UNESCO World Heritage sites, was born here, and the stage will start from his statue. During the opening time trial, the riders passed the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, designed by Castillo. Beyond that, the village is one to forget quickly.
After a calm opening phase, the stage continues with a hilly section between kilometer forty and seventy. This includes the Alto de la Estranguada (7.8 km at 6.2%) and the Alto del Caracol (5.1 km at 6.6%), both second-category climbs. These aren’t groundbreaking climbs, so sprinters are likely to remain within striking distance.
After the Alto del Caracol, it’s mainly downhill and flat until the finish in Santander, where a sprint for victory is expected. The city has hosted many mass sprints in the past, a total of 35 times. The last was quite a while ago: Alessandro Petacchi won here in 2003.