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Primož Roglič leads teammate Jonas Vingegaard across the line to win stage 17 of the 2023 Vuelta a España. Both look shelled.

Vuelta stage 17: Wake me up when Sepp-tember ends

Jumbo goes 1-2-3 on the Angliru, but celebrations were muted.

Joe Lindsey
by Joe Lindsey 13.09.2023 Photography by
Cor Vos
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Jumbo-Visma beat Jumbo-Visma to win stage 17 of the Vuelta a España in one of the most bizarre races in living memory, and even ever-diplomatic race leader Sepp Kuss alluded to “strange feelings” about the day. The team entered the pivotal Angliru stage with a near lock on the podium and three of the best climbers in the race. And true to form, the trio emerged from the fog at the front of the race with just a few kilometers to go.

But instead of a team time trial to the line, Primož Roglič lifted the pace and Kuss was unable to follow, leaving Roglič and Jonas Vingegaard to surge ahead to the finish together. Behind, Kuss recovered on the wheel of Bahrain Victorious’ Mikel Landa and sprinted home 19 seconds behind to just save his race lead, by eight seconds over Vingegaard, and Roglič now one minute further back.

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Brief analysis

Three amigos? We’ll see.

Quote of the day

“They’re two big, big champions, and yeah, I also want my shot. I’m happy to work with them when it’s called for and it’s been a beautiful experience.”

-Kuss to Eurosport interviewer Alberto Contador, who knows from intra-team rivalries

Up next: stage 18

Still more climbs, because Vuelta. Stage 18 is a more traditional-length mountain stage, a 178.9 km ride from Pola de Allande to la Cruz de Linares. It features five categorized climbs, spaced roughly evenly throughout the stage. Three are first-category, including the final ascent to la Cruz de Linares (8.3 km at 8.5%). It’s no Angliru, of course, but it will certainly test the legs. Watch the vibe between Roglič and Vingegaard, who seem to be working out a pecking order given that Roglič wants another shot at the Tour de France. Among non-Jumbos, Bora-Hansgrohe’s Lennard Kämna is a good breakaway pick.

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