00:03Stage 17 takes us to Sevilla, which featured on the very first edition of La Vuelta in 1935.
00:10Today is pretty much guaranteed to finish with a bunch sprint, just as it did two years ago,
00:15when Pavel Bittner stunned Watt Van Aert.
00:17Bisma and Lisa Bike have been warned then as they go in search of a seventh victory at this race.
00:22It could be a hat-trick for Van Aert, or a Fab Five for their 21-year-old wonder kid,
00:27Matthew Brennan.
00:29The video was played in the WhatsApp chat this morning and then he explained the finish of it
00:33and then he said, yeah I went too early and also I lunched for the line too early
00:38and then Pavel did a good ride to come round him, so hopefully we can put that change this year
00:46on the same finish,
00:47but it's good that he knows the course of it.
00:51This will no doubt be the last chance for some of the fast men,
00:54and Wisma's dominance is such that in some of the other sprint teams, frustration has given way to resignation.
01:04We know that he's the fastest rider at this Vuelta, he's already shown it several times.
01:09They also have the strongest team and a superb lead-out man in the shape of Watt Van Aert,
01:14so there's not a lot we can do. Today we'll see what strategy we can put in place to try
01:20to take first place.
01:24As we discovered a little earlier in the race though, accidents can happen on these so-called quiet sprint days.
01:34Well stages like this can often catch you out. Take Pogacar's crash for example, that happened on a day like
01:40today.
01:41Everybody lets their guard down a bit because it's the only day where you can recover.
01:46That's when mistakes happen and you end up with crashes. So these stages can be tricky.
01:51The pace may be a little slower, but there's always that risk of crashes due to a lack of concentration.
02:05Stage 17 is 185 kilometres from Dos Germanas to Sevilla with no climbs,
02:11and the lowest elevation gain of any road stage at this edition, a shade over 1,000 metres.
02:16The sprint won't be easy to manage though, with wide roads and a long final straight.
02:22Could we have another upset like in 2024?
02:31Only two men in the breakaway today, the indefatigable Sinue Fernandes of Burgos,
02:37who's already spent 600 kilometres in the breakaway at this Vuelta,
02:40and Enzo Pelaini of Groupama FGJ United.
02:43They had a pretty comfortable gap over the peloton, and even time to discuss tactics.
03:02The gap growing to five and a half minutes, and obviously no danger for the race leader Enric Mas,
03:08but everybody was staying focused.
03:10Visma taking over from Kofidis, who'd done quite a bit of the early pacing
03:14and starting to bring the gap down.
03:16It was closer to four minutes as they entered the final 75 kilometres.
03:38The peloton stepping on the gas as the brakes' advantage came down to around a minute and a half.
03:43The average speed at this point was just over 43 kilometres an hour.
03:47Kofidis taking control of the peloton again for their sprinter, Brian Cocker,
03:51who took his first Grand Tour stage win back on stage eight.
03:54The Frenchman was the only man in the bunch today to have previously won in Sevilla.
03:58That was back in 2017 on the Ruta del Sol.
04:03The peloton just playing a bit of cat and mouse with Fernandes and Pelaini as they approach the final,
04:09their lead back up to over two minutes.
04:16Next up was the intermediate sprint in San Jose de la Rinconada, 20 kilometres from the finish.
04:23Fernandes and Pelaini just rolling through with the peloton not far behind.
04:27Van Aert looking for more points and he wasn't the only one with Cocker also in the mix.
04:42Well, Van Aert appeared a little puzzled by Cocker's determination to beat him to the line.
04:47The Frenchman presumably explaining that only the top three in the points classification take UCI points,
04:53which Kofidis need as they bid to return to the World Tour in 2028.
04:57Cocker began the day fourth, 34 points down on Alessandro Ramele, but this reduced the gap to 19.
05:05In the meantime, Pelaini had gone solo at the front,
05:08though he wasn't too sure how much of a lead he still had.
05:14The Groupama FDJ United man with a minute in hand as they raced into Sevilla.
05:22Now, Pelaini, who's never won a professional bike race, gave it a good go,
05:26but this was pretty much mission impossible.
05:28He was swallowed up with three kilometres remaining as Unu-X Mobility took command of the peloton for Magnus Court.
05:35The Danish champion eyeing up a seventh Vuelta stage win,
05:38but he had Matty Brennan on the wheel as they geared up for the bunch sprints.
05:45Here we go now, flat out, Magnus Court right-hand side, but just behind him is Matthew Brennan.
05:52Brennan starts to kick now, here comes Jordi Mus.
05:55Jordi Mus flying, but it's Matthew Brennan.
05:57It's a handful of victories in the Vuelta.
06:03Another day and yet another victory for Matthew Brennan.
06:06That is now five for the breakout star of this Vuelta.
06:10Visma matching UAE's performance from last year with their seventh stage win,
06:14and Brennan's success will no doubt be giving them ideas for 2027.
06:23Coming to this Vuelta is also a stepping stone for next year and next year's ambitions as well.
06:30To be so successful here and also with the team, I can only say I really look forward to next
06:37year's plans.
06:38If I can come into the season with the same shape and, yeah, same high ambitions, then, you know,
06:45it would be really good to hit the classic season and also some of the grand tours that are on
06:50off for next year as well.
06:53Brennan in a league of his own at this Vuelta and completing his Manita ahead of Moers and Court.
06:59Rommelay and Stefan de Skirtanea completed the top five with Kocka down in tenth.
07:09Another quiet one for race leader Enric Maas and the GC protagonists,
07:13but they will take centre stage again in the coming days with the individual time trial and some big mountains
07:18on the menu.
07:21Van Aert is one day closer to taking home that green jersey, with Brennan now just 43 points behind.
07:28Despite his efforts at the intermediate sprint, Kocka still trails Rommelay by 30 points.
07:34No change in the mountains classification, where Santiago Buetrago still leads Van Aert by 29 points.
07:42And a similar story in the youth classification, although there will no doubt be a shake-up in tomorrow's time
07:47trial.
07:48Stage 18 could have a major impact on the final outcome of this Vuelta, so don't miss it.
07:53Join us again on Thursday and thanks for watching.
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