Tour de France stage 17 predictions and cycling betting tips: Breakaway can keep peloton at bay

Where to watch stage 17 of the Tour de France

Eurosport 1 & ITV4, 11.45am Wednesday

Best bet

Ben Healy to win stage 17
1pt each-way 11-1 bet365

Tour de France stage 17 predictions

Jasper Philipsen ensured the green jersey is still up for grabs at this year's Tour de France after surging to his third stage win of the race on Tuesday.

The Belgian has a 32-point deficit to points classification leader Biniam Girmay, who crashed in the final kilometre so wasn't involved in the finish. 

Wednesday's intermediate sprint will be interesting to watch now Philipsen is within striking distance of Girmay and the points will be dished out before the peloton take on the day's three categorised climbs, which are squeezed in to the final 40 kilometres.

The breakaways haven't had much of an opportunity to make it all the way to the finish in this year's Tour but stage 17 looks a prime opportunity for them to do so.

As Grand Tours go on there usually becomes a familiar make-up to the breakaway, with only the strongest riders able to keep on getting themselves to the front of the race.

Ben Healy has seemed to be on the attack constantly during the race and the final to Wednesday's stage could set up perfectly for the Irishman.

Healy came closest to victory on stage nine but he also figured prominently in the mountains on stages 11, 14 and 15, when he would have been in the hunt for a stage win were it not for the contenders in the general classification deciding they wanted to be in on the action.

The 23-year-old is clearly in excellent form and Wednesday could be the day he finally crosses the line first at the biggest cycling race of them all.

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