Used with permission of Team Astana  

Vuelta a España Stage 17 - Zamora to Valladolid, 148.2km / 92mi

The Vuelta today literally returned to its roots as the peloton faced another day for the sprinters, ending at Valladolid, the finish line for the first ever stage way back in 1935; and the finish line for no less than Christopher Columbus, who died here in 1506.

As it is with almost every sprinter’s delight, someone had to get off the front and be the day’s featured escape. Today was no different with Pedro Horrillo (Rabobank) and José Ruiz (Andalucía-Cajasur) getting away a little after 12km and settling in for a long time together.

The gap would climb to a maximum of 8’06” with the peloton a lot more attentive than their virtual club ride for most of yesterday’s stage. At the halfway mark the gap was down to 6’40”, down to less than 5 minutes 25km later, and their eventual capture set in stone.

With just 15km to go the gap was less than a minute but the main group had split apart slightly into two groups, Team Astana making sure that GC leader Alberto Contador was safely at the front of the first peloton. Five km later and it was “Groupo Compatto” once again as the main bunch charged ahead to their prey just 21” away. Team Milram’s sprint hope, the eternal Erik Zabel, had some bad luck with a flat rear tire with 7km left, but just 7 seconds later he was back in the chase.

The duo off the front was finally reeled in with 6km left, Caisse d'Epargne now on point, only to see the green of Liquigas take over with 3km left to the line, working for Filippo Pozatto. Rabobak sent a rider off on a flyer but he was soon shut down, then Euskaltel and Quick Step came to the front, but QS’s Tom Boonen – yesterday’s winner – was not in the mix.

Coming to the line it was a trio of riders coming clear and heading in for a photo finish, and at the end of the day it was Wouter Weylandt (Quick Step) throwing his bike across the line to take the stage win!  Astana’s Alberto Contador came home safely 42 riders back, and no change to his GC lead of 1’17” over teammate Levi Leipheimer.

Stage 17 top twenty-five finishers:

1. Wouter Weylandt (Bel) Quick Step -- 3.18.48 (44.73 km/h)
2. Matti Breschel (Den) Team CSC - Saxo Bank                                    
3. Alexandre Usov (Blr) AG2R La Mondiale                                        
4. Koldo Fernandez De Larrea (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi                          
5. Heinrich Haussler (Ger) Gerolsteiner                                         
6. Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) Silence - Lotto                                      
7. Oscar Gatto (Ita) Gerolsteiner                                               
8. Sébastien Hinault (Fra) Crédit Agricole                                      
9. Mauro Santambrogio (Ita) Lampre                                              
10. Claudio Corioni (Ita) Liquigas                                              
11. Mickael Delage (Fra) Française des Jeux                                     
12. Sebastian Schwager (Ger) Team Milram                                        
13. Karsten Kroon (Ned) Team CSC - Saxo Bank                                    
14. Leonardo Duque (Col) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone                      
15. Davide Viganò (Ita) Quick Step                                              
16. Nicolas Roche (Irl) Crédit Agricole                                         
17. Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne                           
18. Nikita Eskov (Rus) Tinkoff Credit Systems                                   
19. Oliver Zaugg (Swi) Gerolsteiner                                             
20. Massimiliano Mori (Ita) Lampre                                               
21. Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne                              
22. Gabriel Rasch (Nor) Crédit Agricole                                         
23. Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (Spa) Rabobank                                 
24. Dmitry Kozontchuk (Rus) Rabobank                                            
25. Ezequiel Mosquera Miguez (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia                              

• 45 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana – s/t

Top twenty-five General classification after stage 17:

1. Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana -- 69.53.52
2. Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana -- 1.17
3. Carlos Sastre Candil (Spa) Team CSC - Saxo Bank -- 3.41
4. Ezequiel Mosquera Miguez (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia -- 4.35
5. Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank -- 5.49
6. Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne -- 6.00
7. Joaquin Rodriguez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne -- 6.11
8. Egoi Martinez De Esteban (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi -- 8.56
9. David Moncoutié (Fra) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone -- 9.32
10. Oliver Zaugg (Swi) Gerolsteiner -- 10.01
11. Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne -- 10.52
12. Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Lampre -- 10.56
13. David Garcia Dapena (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia -- 11.47
14. Juan Manuel Garate (Spa) Quick Step -- 15.02
15. Jurgen Van Goolen (Bel) Team CSC - Saxo Bank -- 16.08
16. David Arroyo Duran (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne -- 19.24
17. Nicolas Roche (Irl) Crédit Agricole -- 19.31
18. John Gadret (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale -- 20.08
19. Javier Moreno Bazan (Spa) Andalucía – Cajasur -- 22.41
20. Sandy Casar (Fra) Française des Jeux -- 23.17
21. Alberto Losada Alguacil (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne -- 23.21
22. Andreas Klöden (Ger) Astana -- 23.47
23. Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale -- 24.02
24. José Luis Rubiera Vigil (Spa) Astana -- 24.03
25. Gustavo Cesar Veloso (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia -- 24.57