Stage 17 of the 2026 Tour de France looked like a day for the sprinters on paper, but the 174.7km route from Chambéry to Voiron, featuring 2,200 metres of climbing, ensured nothing was ever going to come easy. Instead, it produced one of the most chaotic and entertaining stages of this year's Tour.

The breakaway split apart time and time again as riders attacked from every direction. Jasper Stuyven looked to have timed a brilliant solo move to perfection, while Mads Pedersen emptied himself in pursuit of intermediate sprint points to strengthen his grip on the green jersey. With the race exploding behind, it looked as though the attackers might stay away.

But Alpecin had other ideas.

Emiel Verstrynge, Edward Planckaert and, above all, Mathieu van der Poel produced one of the finest team performances of the Tour. Van der Poel chased down every dangerous move in the closing kilometres before delivering a flawless lead-out, allowing Jasper Philipsen to finally deliver on the expectation that has followed him throughout this race. When he launched his sprint, nobody came close.

The result keeps the green jersey battle alive. Pedersen extended his advantage at the intermediate sprint, but Philipsen's stage victory means the points classification is still far from settled heading into the final week.

Ned Boulting and David Millar break down Stage 17 of the Tour de France 2026.

🎶 Music courtesy of BMG Production Music

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