Stage 17: “Jordi is really frustrated – the victory was within reach”

In the latest edition, Denk reflects on Stage 17 of the 2025 Tour de France. “The stage win was within reach today. Jordi waited just a tick too long in the final sprint, the top speed was there. He’s really frustrated that it didn’t work out,” said the 51-year-old. Before the stage, Danny van Poppel left the race as he became a father for the first time. “Danny witnessed the birth via FaceTime last night. We discussed it and decided he should be with his family,” Denk explains. Behind the scenes, the focus is on youth development. Denk outlines how talent development is structured at Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, how they work with young athletes, and how they aim to inspire the younger generation to take up cycling. The final part of the report looks ahead to Stage 18, which takes place on Thursday. The queen stage starts in Vif and covers 171.5 kilometers and 5,450 meters of elevation gain, finishing at the ski resort of Courchevel. The final climb, the Col de la Loze, is over 26 kilometers long with an average gradient of 6.5 percent. In total, the riders will face three climbs of the highest category, including the summit finish. “I expect tomorrow’s stage to be decided by the group of favorites. Our strategy is clear — we want to defend our positions in the general classification,” Denk concludes. The original version of this podcast was recorded in German and translated with the help of artificial intelligence. OVB Media accepts no liability for any translation errors. Photo: IMAGO/Jan De Meuleneir