64th Vuelta a España - Stage 17 Live Part 2
The lead Quintet are not going to go down easy.. the gap is up to 4 minutes with 29 km to go...  In the GP de Wallonie - 5  km to go the battle is on...

Stage 17  Ciudad Real - Talavera de la Reina 194 km

GP de Wallonie - 5  km to go. Up to the Citadel of Namen. All back together. They are sprinting now to the foot of the citadel. 3 km to go. In about 1 km they will enter the climb. Skil-Shimano in front now. But lots of teams are coming on left or right side.Its really nervous. The riders are on the Citadel of Namen now.  Voeckler in the lead of the bunch with Vandenbergh
2 km to go

Lieuwe Westra leads with Garmin's Dutchy, Martin Maaskant in second wheel.
Photo © 2009 UNIPUBLIC, S.A.

In the Vuelta the five have a 4:10 lead with 29 km to go. Are they going to make it? At this point it would be a surprise. To recap our five optimists who's chances of success are growing the more the distance diminishes: Lieuwe Westra (Vacansoleil), Martin Maaskant (Garmin Slipstream), Jose Perez Martinez (Andalucia/Caja Sur) and Markel Irizar (Euskaltel/Euskadi.

GP de Wallonie - Sylvain Chavanel attacks... Chavanel about to be caught by the bunch. The group is still large. Chavanel still in the lead but has been caught by a FDJ rider. It's Le Mevel.

Final kilometer -  Le Mevel and Chavanel caught. Its going to be a sprint in de GP de Wallonie. BMC and Rock Racing are participating in this race too. The sprint has started. Nick Nuyens starts the sprint.

100 meter to go... And the winner is

Rabobank's Nick Nuyens!!!

Victory for Rabobank.. and a deserved win for Nuyens. Nuyens finishes with an open shirt, he forgot to close it. now the sponsor was not visible

In the Vuelta 23 km to go -  The five have a lead of 3:20 on the bunch. Liquigas, Milram and Columbia doing the work.

The top 10 results in Wallonie
1. Nick Nuyens
2. Jerome Pineau
3. Roy Sentjens
4. Bert de Waele
5. Romain Feillu
6. Jonathan Hivert
7. Fabian Wegmann
8. Sven Renders
9. Stefano Garzelli
10. Gerben Löwik

Stage 17 profile -Ciudad Real - Talavera de la Reina   © 2009 UNIPUBLIC, S.A.

1656 CEST - OK fully back to Vuelta now. 21 km to go. The gap down to less than 3 minutes. Its going to be tight if they can catch Maaskant, Westra, Roux, Martinez and Irizar.

Another crash in the bunch and once again one of Xacobeo-Galicia. The gap is down to 2.49. The gas pedal is fully down  now in the bunch as it strings out in a long line; couldn't be a worse time; tough times for Xacobeo/Galicia - Serafín Martínez and teammate Gonzalo Rios Rabunal went down with a few others.

1700 CEST - The gap is down to 2.43. Due to the high pace some riders are dropping off the back of the bunch. Among them mountain king, David Moncoutie and Kurt-Asle Arvesen.

17 km to go - the gap still 2.40. Is it going to be a second stage win for The Netherlands after Lars Boom? a second for France after Moncoutie? or a second for Spain after Gustavo Cesar Veloso? Its a strange fact that a cycling nation as Spain didn't won more stages yet.

11 nations have won stages already in this years Vuelta out of 16 stages. The 11 nations are: Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Slovenia, The Netherlands, France, Spain, USA, Canada, New Zealand and Australia. Columbia, Vacansoleil, Lampre, Xacobeo, Cervelo, Garmin, Cofidis and Rabobank. Saxo Bank won two stages, Columbia four stages and Lampre and Garmin both two stages. The other teams all one stage. Maaskant could take a third win for Garmin, Westra a second for Vacansoleil, Roux, Irizar and Martinez all the first for their teams.

The cohesion in the bunch seems to be gone, no organization at the front; Liquigas, Columbia, Vacansoleil each taking punches on the front.  The gap of the five is 2:09. Milram and Columbia on the front, Liquigas right behind them. Now  a Liquigas rider comes to the front and opens a gap inadvertently?

13 km to go - the gap 1:40, We could see the break stay away at this point....

Roman Kreuziger, Frantisek Rabon and Martin Mares are the three riders to represent the Czech Republic in Mendrisio. Rabon is doing the time trial

And the Kiwi's are going to the worlds with: Hayden Roulston, Jeremy Vennell and Tim Gudsell. Vennell is up for the ITT

1710 CEST -  11 km to go the gap 1:30

9 km to go - 1:15 the gap The five are still working well together. Behind Kurt Arsle Arvensen is fighting through the cars to return to the main bunch. Fuglsang dropped off the back of the bunch. not sure if that was due to a mechanical or tiredness or to abandon the race.

 7 km to go, 1:03 the gap - Is the winner in front or in the bunch? that's the question.. Liquigas, Milram and Columbia keep changing off at the front setting a hot pace.

 6 km to go - Martijn Maaskant and Anthony Roux in the attack - The cohesion in the break is now gone/

5 km to go -  in a downhill section of 1 km long now... Liquigas takes control now. For what? Bennati has come up short this year at the Vuelta... one more shot for the rider in green and blue?

still 43 seconds gap to the lead 5.

Attack of Lieuwe Westra. His nickname is "Ut Beest" or in english "The Beast" Westra caught. Martinez attacks.

4 km to go - 80 km/h now Its going really fast gap down to 30 seconds.

1720 CEST - 3 km to go, Arguments in the break as the cohesion is gone Martijn Maaskant attacks. Westra is not going to get him. Maaskant for a third Garmin win? Maaskant is still hoping for a spot in the worlds team.

Less than 2 km to go Maaskant has 17 seconds on the bunch; Anthony Roux bridges up to Maaskant. Two leaders. The bunch is coming.

Westra, Martinez and Irizar caught.

Final kilometer - Roux attacks. Maaskant can't follow.. The bunch at 100 meters... Maaskant is caught... The Columbia train is coming.

Anthony Roux evades capture racing to the line with the sprinters on his heels; he kept his eye on the goal and never let up until he crossed the line... crossing the line from the left to right: Bennati, Greipel, Roelandts, Anthony Roux and Bonnet. Photo © 2009 Fotoreporter Sirotti

The sprint has started... And the win is for Roux...

Anthony Roux Wins!!!!

The peloton came into his wheel, but couldn't pass the young French rider. Victory for 22 year old Anthony Roux (Francaise des Jeux).....First Vuelta stage win for them. At least one rider of the break made it.

Viva la France - Another French rider William Bonnet second and André Greipel third.

Anthony Roux celebrates after crossing the line...  Photo © 2009 Fotoreporter Sirotti

1 98 Roux, Anthony Fra Francaise des Jeux   4:28:14
2 44 Bonnet, William Fra Bbox Bouygues Telecom - 0:00
3 171 Greipel, André Ger Columbia/HTC - 0:00
4 132 Bennati, Daniele Ita Liquigas  - 0:00
5 86 Pacheco, Fco. José Esp Contentpolis/Ampo - 0:00
6 168 Roelandts, Jurgen Bel Silence/Lotto - 0:00
7 15 Hinault, Sébastien Fra Ag2r la Mondiale - 0:00
8 82 Benitez, Javier Esp Contentpolis/Ampo - 0:00
9 125 Gasparotto, Enrico Ita Lampre/NGC - 0:00
10 202 Bozic, Borut Slo Vacansoleil  - 0:00

Stage 17 Official Results & Photos
General Classifications & Photos After Stage 17

We didn't mentioned it during the stage but it 2nd on the G.C. Robert Gesink crashed during the stage as well. Hope he isn't too seriously hurt. We are happy to report that Jakob Fuglsang did finish today at 44 seconds.

From the twitter of Moerenhout: Things got hectic today. Gesink crashed, hole in his knee. He finished in peloton, to hospital now. We'll try to update Gesink's condition as soon as more is available. 

Likewise, Ezequiel Mosquera is on his way to the hospital to be checked as he was briefly disoriented after his crash.

 Alejandro Valverde stays in the overall lead with tomorrows tough stage to Avila to come; no changes to the top ten G.C. today; and no change in the jerseys with Alejandro followed by, well Alejandro for the presentation of the white jersey of combination leaer, David Moncoutie in the dark red of mountain king, and Andre Greipel for the green of  points leader.

Alejandro Valverde after the finish. Photo © 2009 Fotoreporter Sirotti

Thanks for Joining me and Bart Hazen for today's live coverage... now a look at tomorrows stage as we cone to the final acts of the 2009 tour of Spain... 4 days to Madrid; two mountain stages, a 27 kilometer time trial and the triumphal parade for the winner on stage 21.

Tomorrow's stage we go back into the mountains from Talavera de la Reina  to Avila; the 165 kilometer stage is the first of the final two days for the mountain men of the Vuelta to take center stage again with the category 1, Puerto de Mijares climb coming early in the stage after only 37 kilometers.

Later in the stage the category 2, Alto Collado Mediano is confronted by the weary legs of the peloton at 112 km; it is perhaps the stiffer climb of the two and likely to be the launch pad for attacks of those looking for a stage victory, or; Valverde may find his rivals testing his legs for an opportunity.

Stage 18 profile - Talavera de la Reina - Avila, 165km © 2009 UNIPUBLIC, S.A.

The final summit of the cat 3 Alto del Boquieron comes only 17 kilometers from the finish in Avila with an uphill finish of 3 km. Thestage is a golden opportunity for a break containing riders who are no danger to the race leaders, and you can be sure that the Caisse d'Epargne, Rabobank, Liquigas and Euskaltel teams will be working hard to see that the selection of any break meets that requirement. They will also be active in getting their own hero in the break of the day.

The chances are good for the break to make it tomorrow as the leaders will be looking for an 'easy' day, (and we say that with a tongue in cheek, as it is still a tough day) the more demanding stage comes on Friday with a final opportunity for Sammy Sanchez, Robert Gesink, Evans and Basso to put pressure on Alejandro Valverde and either unseat him from the lead or move up on the G.C.

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