{"id":885726,"date":"2026-09-09T13:50:21","date_gmt":"2026-09-09T13:50:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/885726\/"},"modified":"2026-09-09T13:50:21","modified_gmt":"2026-09-09T13:50:21","slug":"vuelta-a-espana-stage-17-live-two-men-up-the-road-as-visma-lease-a-bike-try-to-deliver-matthew-brennan-a-fifth-win","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/885726\/","title":{"rendered":"Vuelta a Espa\u00f1a stage 17 LIVE: Two men up the road as Visma-Lease a Bike try to deliver Matthew Brennan a fifth win"},"content":{"rendered":"

2026-09-09T13:43:25.122Z
\n90KM TO GO<\/p>\n

Visma are back riding at the front now, but not before the gap has grown to 5:20. That’s given some hope to the breakaway duo, who will be encouraged by the big margin they now have.<\/p>\n

\n

\"SEVILLA,\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n

2026-09-09T13:35:48.416Z<\/p>\n

There’s a bit of a stand-off in the peloton. Visma and Cofidis have stopped chasing, and no other teams have stepped in to take their place. As a result, the break’s lead has ballooned up to almost five minutes. That’s an unusual move from Visma, given how they are the hot favourites for the stage win, and no other team wants to give them a free ride to the finish.<\/p>\n

2026-09-09T13:29:39.804Z
\n100KM TO GO<\/p>\n

Visma and Cofidis are keeping the break very much under control. With 100km still to ride, they have them at 3:20. There’s been no real drama yet today – but there’s still a very long way to go until the finish in Sevilla.<\/p>\n

\n

\"SEVILLA,\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n

2026-09-09T13:19:16.180Z<\/p>\n

Van Aert\u2019s form has raised eyebrows in the cycling world, especially ahead of the World Championships, with some saying that he looks as good as he did a few years ago during his peak. While collecting stage wins for himself and his team at the Vuelta is the immediate goal, he\u2019s also riding here with an eye on building form just in time to win what would be a career-first rainbow jersey.<\/p>\n

‘He’s close to 2022’ \u2013 Wout van Aert ominously nears peak shape ahead of World Championships as he relishes high workload at Vuelta a Espa\u00f1a<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

2026-09-09T13:12:11.922Z<\/p>\n

As well as taking two stage wins for himself, Wout van Aert has performed exceptionally as a lead-out man for Brennan this Vuelta, and is a big reason he is enjoying such success. Unless Visma-Lease a Bike have a surprise in store (as at stage 15 when they misled the opposition off their scent by feigning to ride for a bunch sprint before Van Aert attacked), he’ll likely be tasked with being Brennan’s last lead-out man once again.<\/p>\n

\n

\"SEVILLA,\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n

2026-09-09T13:02:19.956Z
\n120KM TO GO<\/p>\n

As Visma and Cofidis continue to set the pace in the peloton, the gap has come down a little, to three minutes. It’s hard to see this culminating in anything other than a bunch sprint.<\/p>\n

\n

\"SEVILLA,\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n

2026-09-09T12:56:01.931Z<\/p>\n

Yesterday, Matthew Brennan became the first rider to win four stages on Grand Tour debut since Fernando Gaviria in 2017. Today, he’s the hot favourite to make it five. The young Brit has been imperious in the sprints all race, and has confirmed his enormous talent. So good is his form, and such is the high he is riding, that he has set his sights on being selected for Visma-Lease a Bike’s Tour de France team for next year, with his eye on wearing the yellow jersey on home British road.<\/p>\n

Matthew Brennan has his sights set on the 2027 Tour de France, but will there be room in Jonas Vingegaard’s Visma-Lease a Bike team?<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

2026-09-09T12:48:59.402Z<\/p>\n

For unbeatable coverage across road, gravel and tech, subscribe to Cyclingnews. You’ll get comprehensive race coverage of La Vuelta a Espa\u00f1a, subscriber-exclusive analysis from our expert columnists, in-depth features and industry-leading tech insight. Plus, the Cyclingnews app lets you follow the action wherever you go! Join today<\/a>.<\/p>\n

2026-09-09T12:43:24.218Z
\n130KM TO GO<\/p>\n

3:25 is the gap between the breakaway duo of Paleni and Fern\u00e1ndez to the peloton, which is being led by Visma-Lease a Bike and Cofidis. They’re working for Brennan and Coquard, the men who have been first and second respectively in both of the last two bunch sprints.<\/p>\n

2026-09-09T12:35:20.269Z<\/p>\n

Also safely in the peloton is Enric Mas, who is moving ever-closer to what would be a career-defining victory. The Spaniard is on the brink of ending what has been a career\u2019s worth of second-place finishes and finally taking the big prize of overall victory at the Vuelta. Today should be a simple defence of the red jersey; tomorrow\u2019s time trial, however, will be another matter.<\/p>\n

‘More than two minutes is comfortable’ \u2013 Movistar head toward final Vuelta a Espa\u00f1a week time trial with confidence in Enric Mas<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

\"SEVILLA,\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n

2026-09-09T12:26:38.883Z<\/p>\n

The GC riders are having an uncomplicated day hidden in the peloton, including Primo\u017e Rogli\u010d, pictured here. His big day comes tomorrow, when he\u2019ll finally get to exercise his time trialling muscles in a bid to make a move on the red jersey, which he still hopes to win. Before the race started, he was not confident of winning what would be a record-breaking fifth Vuelta overall title – now, it looks like a very real possibility.<\/p>\n

‘I never expected to be going this well’ \u2013 Primo\u017e Rogli\u010d says ‘anything could happen’ in Vuelta a Espa\u00f1a GC battle with Enric Mas and Felix Gall<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

\"SEVILLA,\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n

2026-09-09T12:18:39.037Z
\n150KM TO GO<\/p>\n

The race has settled down again, the break being allowed a gap just shy of four minutes. It’s serene in the peloton, where they are taking it relatively easy in the heat.<\/p>\n

\n

\"SEVILLA,\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n

2026-09-09T12:09:25.132Z<\/p>\n

It was actually nine riders rather than six who counter-attacked, and was a real ragtag bunch. Sprinter Bryan Coquard was a part of it, as was Mas\u2019 teammate Ra\u00fal Garc\u00eda Pierna and stage favourite Brennan\u2019s teammate Steven Kruijswijk, plus Embret Svestad-B\u00e5rdseng, Mathias Sunek\u00e6r Norsgaard, Milan Vader, Martin Tj\u00f8tta, Cl\u00e9ment Alleno and Sergio Samitier.<\/p>\n

2026-09-09T12:05:02.033Z<\/p>\n

There’s been a surprising development in the peloton, as six riders have attacked out of it. They have a considerable 4:30 to make up if they’re to join the two leaders, so it’s difficult to fathom what their plan is exactly, but it’s sure livened things up – at least, until a few moments ago, when they were brought back.<\/p>\n

2026-09-09T11:58:40.437Z<\/p>\n

There’s a relaxed atmosphere in the peloton, which has allowed the gap to the two leaders to grow to almost four minutes. The parcours is so flat and uncomplicated today that they are confidant in bringing a big gap back before the finish.<\/p>\n

\n

\"SEVILLA,\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n

2026-09-09T11:51:22.316Z
\n170KM TO GO<\/p>\n

Dversnes is back in the peloton, while Fern\u00e1ndez and Paleni have a lead of over three minutes on a disinterested peloton. It’s unclear why Dversnes dropped back, but what is known is that Fern\u00e1ndez and Paleni love a breakaway, and will relish a day riding out the front that most would dread.<\/p>\n

2026-09-09T11:44:56.647Z<\/p>\n

The scene at the start today in Dos Hermanas.<\/p>\n

\n

\"DOS\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n

2026-09-09T11:39:13.326Z<\/p>\n

These are the three riders who escaped up the road, but they’ve now become two, as Dversnes has dropped. While Paleni and Fern\u00e1ndez are over a minute up in the peloton, Dversnes is caught somewhere between in no-man’s land.<\/p>\n

\n

\"SEVILLA,\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n

2026-09-09T11:32:07.324Z
\nOFFICIAL START<\/p>\n

And they’re off! Paleni, Dversnes and Fern\u00e1ndez are the first riders to attack, and already have a gap approaching 30 seconds. Given the flat parcours, and seeming hopelessness of the break’s chance of survival, this might already be the break of the day.<\/p>\n

2026-09-09T11:27:59.299Z<\/p>\n

The riders have been in the neutralised zone for some time now, but the official start has been delayed as Jan Hirt makes his way back to the group following a mechanical. They will be racing shortly.<\/p>\n

2026-09-09T11:23:09.945Z<\/p>\n

It’s another scorcher of a day at the Vuelta, with temperatures once again exceeding 30 degrees, but riders were making light of the situation by playing with water pistols at the start.<\/p>\n

\n

\"DOS\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n

2026-09-09T11:14:06.528Z<\/p>\n

Yesterday was another win for Matthew Brennan, as most of the bunch sprints at this Vuelta have been. The British parody profited off an exceptional lead out from Wout van Aert to hold off Bryan Coquard in Palos de la Frontera.<\/p>\n

Vuelta a Espa\u00f1a: Matthew Brennan makes it four with another scorching sprint to win stage 16<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

2026-09-09T11:06:32.389Z<\/p>\n

Following yesterday’s bunch sprint finish, today is set to be an even more nailed-on bunch sprint. It’s the flattest road stage of the entire race, with not a single climb to be taken on all day.<\/p>\n

Vuelta a Espa\u00f1a 2026 stage 17 preview \u2013 As flat as it gets but combination of Brennan and Van Aert provides a big obstacle for rivals<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Hello and welcome to stage 17 of the Vuelta a Espa\u00f1a!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"2026-09-09T13:43:25.122Z 90KM TO GO Visma are back riding at the front now, but not before the gap has…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":885727,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[569],"tags":[64,63,784,85],"class_list":["post-885726","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cycling","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-cycling","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/885726","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=885726"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/885726\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/885727"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=885726"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=885726"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=885726"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}