Poland’s Rafal Majka wins Tour de France 17th stage, Simon Gerrans fails to start

RAFAL Majka has climbed to his second mountain stage victory of the Tour de France, as Simon Gerrans calls it quits.

Stage winner Poland's Rafal Majka celebrates on the podium of the seventeenth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 124.5 kilometers (77.4 miles) with start in Saint-Gaudens and finish in Saint-Lary, France, Wednesday, July 23, 2014. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)

YOUNG Pole Rafal Majka has climbed to his second mountain stage victory of the Tour de France.

Having already triumphed in the Alps, the Tinkoff-Saxo rider added a Pyrenean stage to his ledger with victory on the 124.5km 17th stage from Saint-Gaudens to Saint-Lary on Wednesday.

Italian Giovanni Visconti was second, with race leader Vincenzo Nibali taking third as he extended his overall advantage to Spaniard Alejandro Valverde to almost 5 minutes 30 seconds.

The battle for a podium place also took another twist as veteran Jean-Christophe Peraud rolled over the line fourth in the same time as Nibali and closed to just 8 seconds behind Thibaut Pinot, who retained third overall, but is now exactly 6 minutes behind the Italian leader.

Poland's Rafal Majka (left) wearing the best climber's polka dot jersey rides in a breakaway during the 124.5km seventeenth stage of the Tour de France. Picture: Jeff Pachoud

Majka’s victory was his second in five days and Tinkoff-Saxo’s third in the last four stages.

The 24-year-old had already triumphed on Saturday at the Risoul ski station, while Australian Michael Rogers won Tuesday’s first Pyrenean stage in Bagneres-de-Luchon.

It means the Russian-owned team have gone some way to making up for the loss of leader Alberto Contador to a broken shinbone on Bastille Day.

Majka was part of a large breakaway group that arrived on the final of four tough categorised climbs with 14 riders.

Rafal Majka, wearing the best climber's dotted jersey, climbs Val Louron Azet pass during the seventeenth stage of the Tour de France. Picture: Laurent Cipriani

Visconti made a break for home but once Majka set off after him he looked clearly the stronger.

And so it proved as he accelerated away in the final 2km, also doing enough to retain the polkadot king of the mountains jersey that he had taken off Joaquim Rodriguez on Tuesday.

Australian champion Simon Gerrans, who has been suffering since crashing on the first stage more than two weeks ago, did not start the 17th stage.

“Obviously, it’s disappointing not to complete the Tour de France and make it to Paris,” said the winner of April’s Liege-Bastogne-Liege.

“But with the injuries I have from stage one, I think the best decision is actually to stop now and completely recover.

Originally published as Poland’s Rafal Majka wins Tour de France 17th stage, Simon Gerrans fails to start