Stage 17 DS Insights Review

🏁 Stage 17 Tour de France – Bollène → Valence (160.4 km)

🗓️ Date: 23 July 2025

🎯 Theme: Precision in the chaos—Milan doubles up, Simmons delivers a masterclass.

✅ Top 5 Stage Results

Rank    Rider    Team   Time Gap

🥇         Jonathan Milan (ITA)  Lidl‑Trek            3 h 25′ 30″

🥈         Jordi Meeus (BEL)       Red Bull–BORA–Hansgrohe  same time

🥉         Tobias Lund Andresen (DEN)              Team Picnic PostNL  same time

4️⃣         Arnaud de Lie (BEL)   Lotto–Dstny    same time

5️⃣         Davide Ballerini (ITA) Astana–XDS    same time

🔻 Stage Highlights

Wet chaos under the flamme rouge left many caught behind as Milan surged ahead.

Biniam Girmay crashed hard and bravely finished outside the top 20, his green jersey ambitions now at risk.

But the real unsung hero? Quinn Simmons—USA’s star, Lidl‑Trek’s workhorse, and “Captain America” himself—put in a monstrous pull in the final 3 km to reel in the break, close gaps, and drop Milan at full speed onto the launch pad.

🧨 DS Tactical Shout: “Would Milan have won without Simmons?”

Not a chance.

Simmons burned himself up for 1.5 km into a brutal headwind, keeping Milan in perfect position while chaos reigned behind.

Without that ride? Meeus or De Lie might have had a free shot at the line.

This was textbook leadout sacrifice—the kind that doesn’t show up in headlines, but wins races.

🏆 Jersey & Classification Recap

🟡 General Classification – Top 5

Rank    Rider    Time Gap

1️⃣         Tadej Pogačar               —

2️⃣         Jonas Vingegaard        +4′ 15″

3️⃣         Florian Lipowitz            +9′ 03″

4️⃣         Oscar Onley    +11′ 04″

5️⃣         Primož Roglič +11′ 42″

🟢 Points (Green Jersey) – Top 5

Rank    Rider    Points

1️⃣         Jonathan Milan             312

2️⃣         Tadej Pogačar                240

3️⃣         Biniam Girmay             179

4️⃣         Tim Merlier       156

5️⃣         Jonas Vingegaard        150

🔴 KOM (Polka Dot) – Top 5

Rank    Rider    Points

1️⃣         Tadej Pogačar               60

2️⃣         Lenny Martinez            60

3️⃣         Thymen Arensman     48

4️⃣         Jonas Vingegaard        45

5️⃣         Michael Woods            38

🤍 White Jersey – Top 5

Rank    Rider    Time Gap

1️⃣         Florian Lipowitz            —

2️⃣         Oscar Onley    +2′ 01″

3️⃣         Kevin Vauquelin           +4′ 17″

4️⃣         Ben Healy         +8′ 49″

5️⃣         Carlos Rodríguez         +11′ 42″

👥 Team Classification – Top 3

Rank    Team   Time Gap

1️⃣         Visma–Lease a Bike  —

2️⃣         UAE Team Emirates – XRG    +15′ 08″

3️⃣         Red Bull–BORA–Hansgrohe  +49′ 34″

📣 DS Closing Quote

“Today proved that no sprinter wins alone. Milan was ruthless—but Simmons was the architect. If Lidl‑Trek win green, remember the day Simmons tore himself apart in the wind and rain of Valence.”