Stage 17 looks tailor-made for Brennan: Seville awaits La Vuelta’s strongest sprinter

La Vuelta a España 2026 offers this Wednesday what is, on paper, the simplest stage of the entire race. There will be hardly any elevation between Dos Hermanas and Sevilla, and no categorized climbs appear in the 185 kilometers of the route. It is probably the last truly clean opportunity for the sprinters, and all eyes are back on Matthew Brennan, who will be looking for a fifth stage victory.

Stage 17 of La Vuelta a España 2026: route, schedule, and key points

• Date: Wednesday, September 9
• Start: Dos Hermanas
• Finish: Sevilla
• Distance: 185 km
• Type: flat stage
• Elevation: less than 1,000 m+
• Start: 13:24
• Expected arrival: between 17:20 and 17:42
• Categorized climbs: none
• Intermediate sprint: San José de la Rinconada, 20 km from the finish
• Key point: the stage with the least elevation in this Vuelta and probably the last clear opportunity for the sprinters

Route of Stage 17 of La Vuelta a España 2026

The start will take place in Dos Hermanas, from where the peloton will draw a wide route around Sevilla before returning to the Andalusian capital.

There will be no major difficulties during the day. The profile accumulates less than 1,000 meters of elevation, and a good part of it comes simply from long false flats. The open roads may introduce some tension if the wind appears, but the most likely scenario is that the sprinters' teams will keep any breakaway under control.

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The main point of interest before the finish will be in San José de la Rinconada, where the intermediate sprint will take place with only 20 kilometers remaining. That proximity to the finish may also make it a good spot for a late attack.

The entry into Sevilla will be quick and will require attention due to urban furniture and narrow sections. The last curve will come approximately 1.2 kilometers from the finish, after crossing the Puente de los Remedios, and from there, there will be a long approach along the Guadalquivir to launch the sprint.

Sevilla was already a stage finish in 2024, when Pavel Bittner surprised Wout van Aert and Kaden Groves. This time, however, Visma | Lease a Bike arrives again with the big favorite.

Brennan also wants to win stage 17

Matthew Brennan has practically turned every sprint he has contested into a victory. After winning this Tuesday in La Rábida, the Brit has already accumulated four wins and will be looking for a fifth in Sevilla.

Additionally, Visma Lease a Bike has a total of six stage victories between Brennan and Wout van Aert, matching their best record in a grand tour, achieved in the 2022 Tour de France. Winning in Sevilla would allow the team to set a new maximum.

Van Aert should return to work as Brennan's lead-out, although he will always be a second option if the race gets complicated.

The main rivals are again Bryan Coquard and Jordi Meeus. Coquard was second this Tuesday and already knows what it is like to win in this Vuelta, while Meeus continues to accumulate honorable positions without having yet managed to finish a sprint.

Due to the particularly flat characteristics of this stage, more attention will also need to be paid to pure sprinters like Alberto Dainese and Steffen De Schuyteneer. Alongside them are Alessandro Romele, Vito Braet, Hugo Hofstetter, Magnus Cort, Orluis Aular, and Vincenzo Albanese.

For Enric Mas, Felix Gall, and Primož Roglič, the goal will simply be to get through the day without incidents. The individual time trial will arrive on Thursday, and after that, there will still be the two big mountain stages that should definitively decide La Vuelta.