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RACE REPORTS: TOUR DE SUISSE STAGE 3: SCHLECK STEALS STAGE
Road Bike Action & AFP
June 14, 2010
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(Photo: Roberto Bettini)
Saxo Bank’s Frank Schleck won stage 3 of the Tour de Suisse following a stylish attack in the stage’s final kilometers. Tony Martin of HTC-Columbia was part of an eight-man group from which Schleck attacked, ultimately finishing three seconds down, but four seconds ahead of Fabian Cancellara (Saxo Bank) who lost the jersey to Martin by a single second.
The stage was dominated by a three-man breakaway made up of Alexandre Pliuschin (Katusha), Jussi Veikkanen (Francaise des Jeux) and Ermano Cappeli (Footon-Servetto). The trio slipped away only 20km into the stage and quickly built a sizable gap. Saxo Bank seemed content to the break go and with no other team chasing, they had a 15 minute lead by the halfway point. It was only after Philippe Gilbert’s Omega Pharma-Lotto team began the chase that the gap closed to less than six minutes.
The stage contained a 37km finishing circuit that finished in the city of Schwarzenberg. As the threesome began the final circuit, the gap was less than three minutes. A final third-category climb killed their efforts and the race favorites began to mass at the front.
There were notable efforts from Robert Gesink (Rabobank) and Michael Albasini (HTC-Columbia) to escape the bunch, but with 10km to go a new group broke away, consisting of Kim Kirchen (Katusha), Jose Joaquin Rojas (Caisse d'Epargne), Martin Elmiger (AG2R La Mondiale), Oscar Freire (Rabobank), Alessandro Ballan (BMC Racing Team) and Carlos Barredo (Quick Step).
However, just 5km later, the break was brought back and it was the final, uphill stretch to the finish that proved decisive. On the several hundred meter uphill to the finish rider after rider attacked only to blow and fall back.
Schleck passed a fading Nicholas Roche (Ag2r-La Mondiale) with Rigoberto Uran (Caisse d’Epargne) on his wheel. Uran finished second, while Roche would come in ninth at three seconds and just ahead of new race leader Martin.
Cancellara rode well, finishing 18th on the stage and just seven seconds back from the winner, but the single second he conceded to Martin was enough to take the jersey from his shoulders.
Stage results:
1. Frank Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank 5:02:21
2. Rigoberto Uran (Col) Caisse d'Epargne same time
3. Bauke Mollema (Ned) Rabobank @ :03
4. Steve Morabito (Swi) BMC Racing Team s.t.
5. Matteo Carrara (Ita) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team s.t.
6. Juan Manuel Garate (Spa) Rabobank s.t.
7. Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank s.t.
8. Thomas Lövkvist (Swe) Sky Professional Cycling Team s.t.
9. Nicolas Roche (Irl) AG2R La Mondiale s.t.
10. Tony Martin (Ger) Team HTC - Columbia s.t.
11. Daniele Pietropolli (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini @ :07
12. Stijn Devolder (Bel) Quick Step s.t.
13. Joaqui Rodriguez Oliver (Spa) Team Katusha s.t.
14. Levi Leipheimer (USA) Team Radioshack s.t.
15. Lance Armstrong (USA) Team Radioshack s.t.
16. Sergey Lagutin (Uzb) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team s.t.
17. Olivier Zaugg (Swi) Liquigas-Doimo s.t.
18. Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team Saxo Bank s.t.
19. Francesco Gavazzi (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini s.t.
20. Nicolas Jona Castroviejo (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi s.t.
Overall:
1. Tony Martin (Ger) Team HTC-Columbia
2. Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team Saxo Bank @ :01
3. Thomas Lövkvist (Swe) Team Sky @:09
4. Rigoberto Uran (Col) Caisse d'Epargne @ :10
5. Dries Devenyns (Bel) Quick Step same time
6. Fränk Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank s.t.
7. Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Team Saxo Bank s.t.
8. Steve Morabito (Swi) BMC Racing Team s.t.
9. Jonathan Castroviejo (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi s.t.
10. Bauke Mollema (Ned) Rabobank s.t.
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