Photo gallery: 2016 Tour de France, Stage 17
Photography by Cor Vos, Jered & Ashley Gruber, Kristof Ramon
Russian Illnur Zakarin (Katusha) climbed his way to a mountaintop stage victory on Wednesday in stage 17 of the Tour de France, held entirely in Switzerland, as riders from the breakaway fought for victory on the hors categorie climb of the Col de la Gueulaz to the finish in Emosson.
Jarlinson Pantano (IAM) finished as runner up, while KOM leader Rafal Majka (Tinkoff) came home in third.
“I did my best today,” Zakarin said after the stage. “I’m really happy now. Thank you to my teammates, they’ve been super. This result is not a surprise for me. In the first week, I also tried to go for it.”
Australian Richie Porte (BMC Racing) attacked in the final two kilometres of the climb, and only Chris Froome (Team Sky) was able to follow. Nairo Quintana (Movistar), who entered the Tour as Froome’s biggest adversary for the overall, lost more time on the summit finish.
“The body is fine, like in previous years,” Quintana said. “I feel well, it was just a bad day today. But my form is quite good and I hope physically to be even better soon like in my other races. There will be other stages.”
Read the full stage 17 race report, highlight video, and results here.
- The Swiss Alps. Photo: Kristof Ramon
- Andre Greipel (Lotto-Soudal) prepares for a tough day not designed for the fast men of the peloton. Photo: Cor Vos
- Nairo Quintana (Movistar) was calm and relaxed before Stage 17. Photo: Cor Vos
- Chris Froome (Team Sky) led the neutralised peloton through the city of Berne towards the official start. Photo: Kristof Ramon
- Warren Barguil (Giant-Alpecin) and Gorka Izagirre (Movistar) hit the pavement in the opening kilometres. The latter abandoned with a suspected broken collarbone. Photo: Cor Vos
- Ilnur Zakarin (Katusha) chose to go alone up the final climb to the finish. Photo: Gruber Images
- Winner Anacona (Movistar) has been a loyal lieutenant to Quintana in the mountains. Photo: Gruber Images
- France’s Richard Virenque holds the record for most King of Mountains classification wins, with seven. Photo: Kristof Ramon
- Zakarin captured the victory win on stage 17. Photo: Cor Vos
- Dan Martin (Etixx-QuickStep) is never one to shy away from attacking. He was the first of the GC contenders to have a go. Photo: Cor Vos
- Richie Porte (BMC Racing) climbed his way closer to the podium on stage 17. Photo: Cor Vos
- Race leader Chris Froome was the only one able to bridge across to Porte. Photo: Kristof Ramon
- The press room on stage 17 didn’t have too shabby of a view. Photo: Kristof Ramon
- Quintana suffered in the final kilometres and lost more time to Froome in the fight for the overall title. Photo: Kristof Ramon
- Wout Poels (Team Sky) has been an important domestique to Froome towards the end of the mountain stages. Photo: Kristof Ramon
- The team bus parking was a bit tight on the dam wall at the finish in Emosson. Photo: Cor Vos
- What’s left of Shane Archbold’s (Bora-Argon18) bike after a crash earlier in the race. Archbold would finish the stage and later learn he had a fractured pelvis. Photo: Kristof Ramon