11 leaders including Sagan and Majka
181 riders started stage 17 in Bern, Switzerland, after Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data) and Rohan Dennis (BMC) withdrew in order to prepare for the Olympic Games. 51.8km were covered in the first hour. The high tempo prevented any breakaway from taking shape. Tanel Kangert (Astana), Stef Clement (IAM), Kristjian Durasek (Lampre-Merida) and Tony Gallopin (Lotto-Soudal) rode away in the climb of Saanenmöser after 70km of racing. Seven riders join them: Jarlinson Pantano (IAM), Rafal Majka and Peter Sagan (Tinkoff), Domenico Pozzovivo (AG2R), Steve Morabito (FDJ), Ilnur Zakarin (Katusha) and Brice Feillu (Fortuneo-Vital Concept). A counter attack of eight riders was formed with Alexey Lutsenko (Astana), Greg Van Avermaet (BMC), Serge Pauwels (DiData), Alberto Losada (Katusha), Rui Costa (Lampre-Merida), Thomas Voeckler (Direct Energie), Julian Alaphilippe (Etixx-Quick Step) and Ruben Plaza (Orica).
Zakarin wins at Finhaut-Emosson
Lutsenko, Van Avermaet and Voeckler managed to make it across with 63km to go while the peloton led by Team Sky was cruising more than eleven minutes behind. After Majka took four more KOM points at the category 3 climbs, Sagan won the intermediate sprint at Martigny and let the breakaway go. Gallopin was first to attack up to the col de la Forclaz. Lutsenko went across and continued solo with 24km to go. He was reeled in before the summit where Majka passed first again. Majka and Pantano formed a leading duo in the downhill like in stage 15! The Colombian who claimed his first Tour de France victory in Culoz was on fire again on his country's national day. Zakarin made it across 8.5km away from the finishing line. The Russian attacked twice and made a gap for himself with 6.8km to go as Pantano couldn't follow him a second time. He forged on to become the second Russian rider to win a Tour de France stage for Katusha after Sergey Ivanov in 2009.
Froome increases his lead
In the yellow jersey group, Astana made the tempo for a while. Alejandro Valverde also tried to up the rhythm but only Richie Porte managed to go clear with 2km to go. Chris Froome rejoined him while runner up Bauke Mollema was dropped. Nairo Quintana couldn't hold the pace of Adam Yates, Romain Bardet, Fabio Aru and Louis Meintjes. Froome increased his lead in the overall ranking. Mollema is now at 2.27 and Yates at 2.53.
