Tour of Sweden Cat 2.5

Stage 1
Stage 2
Stage 3a
Stage 3b
Stage 4
Stage 5
Stage 6 and Final GC

Stage 1, Stockholm - Eskilstuna 153,2 km:

Stage 1 of Tour of Sweden was decided in a sprint where 20-year old Australian Jay Sweet was faster than renowned sprinters like Glenn Magnusson (stage winner in the Giro and riding for the Swedish national team) and Motorola's Max van Heeswijk.

Jay Sweet, who is on the European circuit for the first year, is not in the Australian selection for Atlanta 1996 but his aim is Sydney 2000.

Report from Australian Press

Australia's national road cycling team claimed its first European victory for the year when South Australia's Jay Sweet won the initial stage of the Tour of Sweden on Wednesday (published in The Australian Friday 14/6).

By winning the 153km leg from Stokholm to Eskilstuna, Sweet, 20, also became the overall race leader and took first place in the under-23 competition. For his ninth win of the year, Sweet outsprinted Sweden's Glen Magnussen (Amore a Vita) - a stage winner in the recent Giro d'Italia and now second overall at 4 secs - and The Netherland's Max Van Heeswijk (Motorola).

The Australian team was also one of only two to place three riders in the winning 15 man break which formed after 70km and finished about 15 m ahead of the main bunch. As a result, Australia now lead the team's competition from the Swedish national team, followed by the seasoned professional squads of Collstrop, Rabobank, Motorola and Telekom

Results from Stage 1

 1. Jay Sweet (Aus)                     3.41.19
 2. Glenn Magnusson (Swe)
 3. Max van Heeswijk (Ned) Motorola
 4. Daniel Sjoberg (Swe) Collstrop
 5. Michael Blaudzun (Den) Rabobank
 6. Michel Lafis (Swe) Telekom
 7. Tristan Priem (Aus)
 8. Bert Dietz (Ger) Telekom
 9. Frank Hoj (Den) Collstrop
10. Stig Kristiansen (Nor)              all s.t.

Stage 2, Orebro - Karlstad, 190.1km

 1. Christian Henn (Ger) Telekom       4.35.17
 2. Sascha Henrix (Ger)                 + 1.38
 3. Saulius Ruskys (Lat)
 4. Max van Heeswijk (Ned) Motorola
 5. Jay Sweet (Aus)
 6. Daniel Sjoberg (Swe) Collstrop
 7. Christian Andersen (Den)
 8. Aart Vierhouten (Ned) Rabobank
 9. Mikael Holst Kyneb (Den)
10. Glenn Magnusson (Swe)              all s.t.

Overall:

 1. Jay Sweet (Aus)                    8.18.03
 2. Michel Lafis (Swe) Telekom          + 0.04
 3. Max van Heeswijk (Ned) Motorola     + 0.05
 4. Glenn Magnusson (Swe)               + 0.05
 5. Daniel Sjoberg (Swe) Collstrop      + 0.06

Stage 3a, ITT Karlstad - Skoghall 13 km:

 1. Michael Andersson (Swe) Telekom      15.33,2
 2. Michael Baludzun (Den) Rabobank     + 0.03,9
 3. Magnus Backstedt (Swe) Collstrop    + 0.22,1
 4. Michael Boogerd (Ned) Rabobank      + 0.24,7
 5. Francois Urien (Fra)                + 0.25,1
 6. Michel Lafis (Swe) Telekom          + 0,28,7
 7. Bruno Thibout (Fra) Motorola        + 0.29,0
 8. Bert Dietz (Ger) Telekom            + 0.33,4
 9. Sean Yates (Eng) Motorola           + 0.35,2
10. Peter Rogers (Aus) Giant-AIS        + 0.35,3
...
22. Jay Sweet (Aus) Giant-AIS         	+ 0.58

Leader:

 1. Michael Blaudzun

Stage 3b Kristinehamn - Skovde 147,3 km:

 1. Bert Dietz (Ger) Telekom            3.22.29
 2. Christian Andersen (Den)
 3. George Hincapie (USA) Motorola
 4. Michael Blaudzun (Den) Rabobank
 5. Michel Lafis (Swe) Telekom
 6. Glenn Magnusson (Swe)               all s.t.
 7. Laurent Madouas (Fra) Motorola      + 0.03
 8. Bruno Thibout (Fra) Motorola          s.t.
 9. Saulius Ruskys (Lat)                + 0.08
10. Juris Silovs (Lat)                    s.t.

Overall:

 1. Michael Blaudzun (Den) Rabobank   11.56.17
 2. Michel Lafis (Swe) Telekom          + 0.20
 3. Bert Dietz (Ger) Telekom            + 0.26
 4. George Hincapie (USA) Motorola      + 0.42
 5. Max van Heeswijk (Ned) Motorola     + 0.45
 6. Glenn Magnusson (Swe)               + 0.46

Stage 4, Skovde - Huskvarna 130,6 km:

 1. Laurent Madouas (Fra) Motorola     3.12.15
 2. Steffen Wesemann (Ger) Telekom      + 0.21
 3. Juris Silovs (Lat)                  + 0.38
 4. Scott McGrory (Aus)                 + 1.11
 5. Bruno Thibout (Fra) Motorola        + 2.08
 6. Max van Heeswijk (Ned) Motorola       s.t.
 7. Bert Dietz (Ger) Telekom              s.t.
 8. Christian Henn (Ger) Telekom        + 2.19
 9. Michael Boogerd (Ned) Rabobank      + 2.23
10. Michael Blaudzun (Den) Rabobank       s.t.

Overall:

 1. Michael Blaudzun (Den) Rabobank   15.10.55
 2. Bert Dietz (Ger) Telekom            + 0.11
 3. Max van Heeswijk (Ned) Motorola     + 0.30
 4. Glenn Magnusson (Swe)               + 0.46
 5. Michel Lafis (Swe) Telekom          + 0.49
 6. Koos Moerenhout (Ned) Rabobank        s.t.
 7. Jay Sweet (Aus)                     + 0.54
 8. Markus Andersson (Swe)              + 1.02
 9. George Hincapie (USA) Motorola      + 1.11
10. Tristan Priem (Aus)                 + 1.38

Stage 5, Kolmardens Djurpark - Sodertalje 156,6 km:

 1. Bruno Thibout (Fra) Motorola        3.28.18
 2. Michael Andersson (Swe) Telekom
 3. Jean Philippe Rouxel (Fra)
 4. Kai Hundertmarck (Ger) Telekom
 5. Christian Andersen (Den)            all s.t.
 6. Laurent Madouas (Fra) Motorola      + 0.08
 7. Max van Heeswijk (Ned) Motorola     + 1.29
 8. Saulius Ruskys (Lat)
 9. Johan Capiot (Bel) Collstrop
10. Juris Silovs (Lat)                  all s.t.

Overall:

 1. Michael Blaudzun (Den) Rabobank   18.40.41
 2. Bert Dietz (Ger) Telekom            + 0.12
 3. Max van Heeswijk (Ned) Motorola     + 0.31
 4. Glenn Magnusson (Swe)               + 0.47
 5. Michel Lafis (Swe) Telekom            s.t.
 6. Koos Moerenhout (Ned) Rabobank      + 0.50
 7. Jay Sweet (Aus)                     + 0.55
 8. Markus Andersson (Swe)              + 1.03
 9. George Hincapie (USA) Motorola      + 1.12
10. Tristan Priem (Aus)                 + 1.39

Other classifications

Points leader: Max van Heeswijk

Sprint leader: Michel Lafis

Under 23 leader: Jay Sweet

Stage 5 Report

Michael Blaudzun had no trouble defending his lead on the penultimate stage of Tour of Sweden, he even increased it with one second after finishing third in the first sprint. After 25 km a group of six riders went clear, all more than 15 minutes down on the GC, and stayed away to the finish. The sprint ended in controversy when Laurent Madouas misjudged the last bend and pushed Christian Andersen straight into Kai Hundertmarck. Andersen, convinced that it was intentional, went looking for Madouas after the finish but luckily the diminutive Frenchman managed to hide himself behind the Motorola team car. Motorola's Danish manager Johnny Weltz stepped in and managed to calm Andersen down.

The race race ends Monday 17 with a stage from Sodertalje to Stockholm.

Stage 6, Sodertalje - Stockholm 203,2 km:

 1. Mikael Holst Kyneb (Den)           4.24.20
 2. Jay Sweet (Aus)
 3. Christian Andersen (Den)
 4. Max van Heeswijk (Ned) Motorola
 5. Chris Lillywhite (Eng)
 6. Frank Hoj (Den) Collstrop
 7. Daniel Sjoberg (Swe) Collstrop
 8. Sascha Henrix (Ger)
 9. Saulius Ruskys (Lat)
10. Adrie van der Poel (Ned) Rabobank  all s.t.

Final overall:

 1. Michael Blaudzun (Den) Rabobank   23.05.01
 2. Bert Dietz (Ger) Telekom            + 0.12
 3. Max van Heeswijk (Ned) Motorola     + 0.31
 4. Michel Lafis (Swe) Telekom          + 0.42
 5. Glenn Magnusson (Swe)               + 0.47
 6. Jay Sweet (Aus)                     + 0.49
 7. Koos Moerenhout (Ned) Rabobank      + 0.50
 8. Markus Andersson (Swe)              + 1.03
 9. George Hincapie (USA) Motorola      + 1.07
10. Tristan Priem (Aus)                 + 1.39

Other final classifications


Teams:

 1. Sweden            69.18.35
 2. Australia           + 0.06
 3. Telekom             + 5.46
 4. Motorola            + 7.45
 5. Rabobank            +13.00
 6. Collstrop           +18.51
 7. Norway              +37.32
 8. Denmark             +46.38
 9. France              +48.01
10. Germany             +48.47

Sprints:

 1. Michel Lafis        25 pts
 2. Juris Silovs (Lat)  15
 3. Daniel Sjoberg      14

Points:

 1. Max van Heeswijk    67 pts
 2. Christian Andersen  62
 3. Jay Sweet           61

Under 23:

 1. Jay Sweet (Aus)
 2. Peter Rogers (Aus)
 3. Marcel Gono (Aus)