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Degenkolb going for Green

Giant- Shimano's John Degenkolb took his fourth stage win and did what he needed to cling to the Green points-jersey in a wild finale of the seventeenth stage of the Vuelta. Two other favorites for the World Championships, Michael Matthews and Fabian Cancellara rounded out the podium.

By Jens
JAIME REINA/AFP/Getty Images

Until the final kilometers it was a bit of a sleepy day in the Vuelta with a relatively simple parcourse where a fairly strong breakaway got away. Rohan Dennis, Daniel Teklehaimanot, Elia Favilli, Bob Jungels and Lluís Mas looked promising to stay out in front as the race approached the finish in A Coruna. Giant Shimano had burned off most of their riders chasing on the undulating roads in the last part of the stage and they were pretty along in being motivated to chase. In the end a surge on the section of cobbled street a few kilometers from the finish saved the day for the sprinters and ruined the  chances of the remaining breakaways.

It was Giant's last man standing, Warren Barguil, and a Sky team forcing the pace to keep their man safe at the front on the potentially treacherous cobbled road that managed to split the field and allow a smaller frontgroup from the peloton to just catch the breakaway in the final few hundred meters.  From the group Degenkolb launched early with Matthews on his wheel but unable to come around the German powersprinter. In the end it looked like a clear win but Giant will be happy tonight with how they managed to save a big win from a messy and slightly lucky finish.

The GC saw no changes except for the unfortunate withdrawal before the stage of the unfortunate Rigoberto Uran who had his race ruined by bronchitis.

TOP 10 Stage 17:

1. GER DEGENKOLB, John 115 Team Giant - Shimano 4h 26' 07''
2. AUS MATTHEWS, Michael 186 Orica GreenEdge 4h 26' 07'' + 0''
3. SUI CANCELLARA, Fabian 211 Trek Factory Racing 4h 26' 07'' + 0''
4. BEL STUYVEN, Jasper 217 Trek Factory Racing 4h 26' 07'' + 0''
5. ITA FERRARI, Roberto 5 Lampre Merida 4h 26' 07'' + 0''
6. ESP FERNÁNDEZ DE LARREA, Koldo 103 Garmin Sharp 4h 26' 07'' + 0''
7. FRA SOUPE, Geoffrey 99 FDJ.fr 4h 26' 07'' + 0''
8. SUI WYSS, Danilo 49 BMC Racing Team 4h 26' 07'' + 0''
9. ITA CARUSO, Damiano 65 Cannondale Pro Cycling 4h 26' 07'' + 0''
10. ESP REYNES, Vicente 127 IAM Cycling 4h 26' 07'' + 0''

Top 10 Overall

POS. NOMBRE DOR. EQU. TIEMPO
1. ESP CONTADOR, Alberto 201 Tinkoff - Saxo 67h 51' 07''
2. ESP VALVERDE, Alejandro 151 Movistar Team 67h 52' 43'' + 1' 36''
3. GBR FROOME, Christopher 191 Team SKY 67h 52' 46'' + 1' 39''
4. ESP RODRIGUEZ, Joaquin 131 Team Katusha 67h 53' 36'' + 2' 29''
5. ITA ARU, Fabio 21 Astana Pro Team 67h 54' 45'' + 3' 38''
6. IRL MARTIN, Daniel 102 Garmin Sharp 67h 57' 24'' + 6' 17''
7. NED GESINK, Robert 34 Belkin Pro Cycling Team 67h 57' 50'' + 6' 43''
8. ESP SÁNCHEZ, Samuel 41 BMC Racing Team 67h 58' 02'' + 6' 55''
9. FRA BARGUIL, Warren 111 Team Giant - Shimano 67h 59' 44'' + 8' 37''
10. ITA CARUSO, Damiano 65 Cannondale Pro Cycling 68h 00' 17'' + 9' 10''

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