Tour de France 2025 Stage 17: Final Sprint Opportunity in the Rhône Valley

As the 2025 Tour de France enters its closing week, stage 17 marks one of the final clear chances for sprinters to shine. After the fireworks on Mont Ventoux, where Valentin Paret-Peintre triumphed and Tadej Pogacar defended his yellow jersey with confidence, all eyes now turn to the flatter terrain between Bollène and Valence.

This 160.4-kilometre route could be deceiving. While the Tour de France 2025 stage 17 is mostly flat and seems built for a bunch sprint, one wildcard remains: wind.

Calm After the Storm

The peloton arrives in Bollène still catching its breath from the brutal ascent of Ventoux. On stage 16, GC riders battled in thin air, and the breakaway delivered fireworks. Valentin Paret-Peintre outsprinted Ben Healy at the summit, while Pogacar once again demonstrated his supremacy by gaining a few more seconds on Jonas Vingegaard.

But Tour de France 2025 stage 17 brings a shift in mood and energy. It's a flatter day, with just two modest categorized climbs — the Col de Boutière (3.7 km at 6.6%) and Col de Tartaiguille (3.6 km at 3.5%). Both are well before the finish, and even the second one comes 43 kilometres from the line — too early to threaten the pure sprinters.

Who Can Seize the Moment?

With most general classification contenders likely to play it safe, all attention turns to the sprinters. Tour de France 2025 stage 17 is expected to end in a bunch sprint, and that means one thing: teams like Soudal–Quick-Step, Lidl-Trek, and Alpecin–Deceuninck will be setting the pace.

Top favourites include:

• Tim Merlier – The Belgian has the speed and the team to control a flat finale.
• Jonathan Milan – A powerhouse on a good day and hungry for another win.
• Arnaud De Lie and Biniam Girmay – Riders who excel on lumpy stages but are fast enough for the line.
• Jordi Meeus, Phil Bauhaus and Kaden Groves – Strong second-tier options who will pounce if the favourites hesitate.

Wout van Aert might sit this one out or play support roles, conserving energy for the final mountain days.

One Last Curveball: The Wind

Crosswinds through the Rhône Valley have wrecked sprinters’ plans in the past. Echelons could form if the wind picks up, particularly around the exposed farmlands after the Col de Tartaiguille. Teams must stay sharp — this could become a survival stage instead of a textbook sprint.

Even with calm conditions, positioning in the final 10 kilometres will be key. A tight technical run-in into Valence offers few chances to recover from mistakes.

GC Picture: Holding Steady

After stage 16, Tadej Pogacar holds a 4-minute advantage over Jonas Vingegaard, with Florian Lipowitz and Oscar Onley rounding out the top four. Stage 17 isn’t expected to impact the GC standings, barring crosswind chaos or unexpected crashes.

Stage Summary

• Route: Bollène to Valence, 160.4 km
• Climbs: Col de Boutière (km 66), Col de Tartaiguille (km 117)
• Finish: Flat, potential for high-speed bunch sprint
• X-Factor: Wind in Rhône Valley

Prediction Tour de France 2025 stage 17

Tour de France 2025 stage 17 is the final platform for the sprinters. Expect a blistering pace in the last hour and a drag race to the line. If the wind stays calm, Tim Merlier is the man to beat. But should echelons form, anything goes.

🔗 Check out the full TDF 2025 preview here:
https://thetipster.com/tour-de-france-2025-preview/