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RACE REPORTS: 63RD TOUR DE ROMANDIE STAGE 1: SERRANO WINS STAGE, RAST TAKES OVERALL LEAD
Road Bike Action & AFP
April 29, 2009
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Rast (shown here at the Tour of California) took the overall lead in the Tour de Romandie
(Photo: Yuzuru Sunada)
Gregory Rast (Astana) is the new leader in the Tour de Romandie. Rast finished third in the first stage, won by Spaniard Ricardo Serrano (Fuji). Together with Serrano and Lars Ytting Bak (Saxo Bank), Rast was one of the three riders that dominated the stage with the finish in Fribourg. They attacked after 22 kilometers and managed to stay in the front until the end. The stage was shortened because of snowfall on the Jaunpass. With Haimar Zubeldia (5th), Michael Schär (10th) and Assan Bazayev (14th), three other Astana Cycling Team riders finished in the top 15.
Three-time Swiss road champion Gregory Rast was extremely pleased taking the yellow jersey in his own country. “It was hard. In the end the peloton came so close. I had to work hard to stay in the front as I knew that I could take over the leader’s jersey from prologue winner Frantisek Rabon. Those efforts cost me the stage win, but I am happy with this jersey. It will be difficult to keep it, but you never know. Two years ago I won the Tour of Luxembourg, which is a hard race as well. However, the mountains here are much harder plus there is the team time trial and the differences in the top of the GC are small. Anyway, I will try to keep this jersey as long as possible. For me this is good compensation for my lost classics season. I was sprinting for a podium place in the Tour of Flanders when I crashed, which jeopardized my Paris-Roubaix as well”.
63rd Tour de Romandie
April 28-May 3, 2009
Stage 1: April 29: Montreux – Fribourg, 176.2km
1. Ricardo Serrano Gonzalez (Spa) Fuji-Servetto 2.08.35 (42.929km/h)
2. Lars Ytting Bak (Den) Team Saxo Bank @ s.t.
3. Gregory Rast (Swi) Astana @ s.t.
4. Tony Martin (Ger) Team Columbia - High Road @ 0.28
5. Haimar Zubeldia Agirre (Spa) Astana
6. Koldo Fernandez De Larrea (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi @ 0.31
7. Jacopo Guarnieri (Ita) Liquigas
8. Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin - Slipstream
9. Markus Zberg (Swi) BMC Racing Team
10. Michael Schär (Swi) Astana
General classification after stage 1
1. Gregory Rast (Swi) Astana 2.12.17
2. Ricardo Serrano Gonzalez (Spa) Fuji-Servetto @ 0.05
3. Lars Ytting Bak (Den) Team Saxo Bank @ 0.12
4. Frantisek Rabon (Cze) Team Columbia - High Road @ 0.33
5. Sandy Casar (Fra) Française des jeux @ 0.35
6. Tony Martin (Ger) Team Columbia - High Road
7. Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne @ 0.36
8. Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin - Slipstream @ 0.37
9. Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas
10. Maxim Iglinskiy (Kaz) Astana
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