Stage 17 takes the riders 174.7 kilometres from Chambéry to Voiron. Although officially classified as a flat stage, the opening third of the route is anything but straightforward, with four classified climbs that should make for an aggressive and tactical day of racing.
Stage 16 Review
The bookmakers billed Stage 16 as a battle between world time trial champion Remco Evenepoel and yellow jersey holder Tadej Pogačar, and they got it exactly right. Evenepoel justified his odds-on favouritism to win the individual time trial, finishing 28 seconds ahead of Pogačar and clawing back a small amount of time in the general classification.
The ride of the day, in my opinion, came from Mattias Skjelmose, who produced an outstanding performance to finish third, 1 minute and 4 seconds behind Evenepoel. Young French sensation Paul Seixas also continued to impress, delivering another mature ride to finish fourth.
The big disappointment was Florian Lipowitz, who crashed out of the Tour. Aside from feeling sorry for him, it also brought an end to a couple of my long-term betting positions.
Classification Update – click here to bet
Evenepoel reduced Pogačar’s overall lead by 28 seconds and now sits 4 minutes and 32 seconds behind the race leader. There has been no movement in the outright betting though, with Pogačar remaining a 1.02 favourite, while Evenepoel is 17.00 second favourite.
There was no movement in the Green Jersey competition, with Mads Pedersen still leading Jasper Philipsen by 31 points. Stage 17 could prove pivotal in that battle. Pedersen remains a 1.20 favourite to win the points classification, with Philipsen at 5.00.
There was also no change in the King of the Mountains standings. Pogačar now leads Valentin Paret-Peintre by 25 points, with Richard Carapaz another six points behind in third. Time is beginning to run out for his rivals and Pogačar is now 1.71 to win the polka dot jersey, with Carapaz at 4.00 and Paret-Peintre at 4.50.
Lidl-Trek continue to lead the Team Classification, but only just. Their advantage over UAE Team Emirates XRG has been slashed to 23 seconds, and they are now just 1.12 to win the competition.
Stage 17 Profile
Although labelled as a flat stage, the opening half of the route is packed with climbing.
The riders barely have time to settle before tackling the Category 4 Côte de Rossillon after just eight kilometres, followed almost immediately by the Category 4 Côte de Bassa. The toughest climb of the day then arrives with the Category 3 Col des Prés, measuring 3.5 kilometres at 6.8%, before another short Category 4 climb at Côte de Saint-Jean-d’Arvey.
After that the terrain becomes considerably easier, with long rolling roads across Isère leading to the intermediate sprint at Colombes after 147.5 kilometres.
The final 30 kilometres are predominantly flat and should favour either a reduced bunch sprint or a strong breakaway if the escapees have built enough of an advantage.
What to Expect
This is officially a flat stage, but the profile suggests it is more likely to suit the tougher sprinters and punchers than the pure fast men.
The four early climbs should ensure an absolutely frantic battle to establish the breakaway. It will be fascinating to see whether the likes of Mads Pedersen and Jasper Philipsen try to infiltrate that move, not only with a view to winning the stage but also to contesting the valuable intermediate sprint points after 147.5 kilometres.
If one or both of them miss the break, I would expect Lidl-Trek and Alpecin-Premier Tech to commit riders to the front of the peloton in an effort to bring everything back together.
That will not be easy.
This is exactly the type of stage many teams will have targeted months in advance, knowing UAE Team Emirates XRG are highly unlikely to spend energy controlling the race while comfortably leading the general classification.
Stage 17 Betting – click here to bet
- Mads Pedersen – 5.00
- Jasper Philipsen – 6.50
- Mathieu van der Poel – 7.50
- Olav Kooij – 9.00
- Biniam Girmay – 21.00
- Magnus Cort Nielsen – 23.00
- Filippo Ganna – 23.00
- Kasper Asgreen – 29.00
Verdict
Mads Pedersen deserves to head the betting. This is a demanding stage, and throughout this Tour he has consistently proved more durable than the other sprinters whenever the road starts to climb.
That said, over the past few sprint finishes I think Jasper Philipsen has looked the quicker finisher. With Mathieu van der Poel likely to deliver one of the best lead-outs in the peloton, I think this could finally be the day everything comes together for Alpecin-Premier Tech.
The added attraction is the World Sports Betting money-back for second place promotion, which provides a little extra insurance if Philipsen again falls just short.
Suggested Bet: Jasper Philipsen to win Stage 17 at 6.50.
Tour de France 2026 – Stage Winner Money Back Promotion
Back any rider to win any stage of the 2026 Tour de France, and if your selection finishes 2nd in that stage, World Sports Betting will refund your stake in World Coins, up to R5,000!
Promotion Details
- Promotion period: 4 July – 26 July 2026
- Valid on pre-match single (straight) win bets only
- Bets must be placed before the start of each stage
- Refunds are paid in World Coins
- Maximum refund: R5,000 per account
- Only real money bets qualify (free bets excluded)
- Only one qualifying refund per bet
- Cash-out bets do not qualify
- World Coins are subject to the standard World Sports Betting Free Bet Terms & Conditions
- Accounts must be verified and in good standing
How to Claim
Simply email promotions@wsb.co.za with Subject ‘TDF Stage’ to claim your refund within 72 hours of the stage finishing.
Disclaimer: Prices were correct at the time of writing but are subject to change.
