|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
66th Tour de Suisse- 2.HC
Switzerland, June 18-27, 2002
2001 Results Preview Stages and results Start list Past winners
Preview
By Jeff Jones
 |
Rivaling the Dauphiné Libéré and Volta a Catalunya for attention in June is the Tour de Suisse, Switzerland's biggest cycling race considered by many to be the most important stage race next to the Tour, Giro and Vuelta. This year marks the 66th running of the event, which was first held in 1933.
The 2002 Tour de Suisse consists of a prologue and nine stages, starting in Luzern on Tuesday, June 18 with a 6 kilometre time trial, and finishing in Biel on Thursday, June 27 with a 34 kilometre time trial. The first couple of stages are quite flat, giving riders such as Erik Zabel (Telekom) a chance to sharpen their speed before the Tour (not that Zabel needs to!).
There are other quick men as well, including Ivan Quaranta (Index-Alexia), winner of the last stage of the Tour of Sweden, Jean-Patrick Nazon and Jimmy Casper (Francaise des Jeux), Jans Koerts and Fred Rodriguez (Domo-Farm Frites), Andrej Hauptmann (Tacconi Sport), Sven Teutenberg (Phonak), and Jaan Kirsipuu (Ag2r).
The third stage from Domat Ems to Samnaun takes the riders into the mountains for the first time, having to tackle the 2383m Flüalapass halfway through the stage, before the uphill finish to Samnaun (1828m). A similarly profiled stage follows the day after, from Chur to Ambri-Piotta, however the climbs aren't quite as severe.
The fifth stage from Meiringen to Meiringen (148 km) takes in three mountain passes: Grimselpass (2165m), Furkapass (2429m), and Sustenpass (2215m), and the last 40 km is downhill. Stage six from Interlaken to Verbier is another uphill finish, climbing from 465m to 1626m in the final 25 kilometres.
These middle stages should decide the race, and we will see riders such as Giro winner Paolo Savoldelli (Index-Alexia), Francesco Casagrande (Fassa Bortolo), Alexander Vinokourov (Telekom), Andrea Noe (Mapei), Pavel Tonkov and Juan Manuel Garate (Lampre), Danilo Di Luca and Mirko Celestino (Saeco), Laurent Dufaux (Alessio), Alex Zülle (Team Coast), and Georg Totschnig (Gerolsteiner) come to the fore.
Then it's back to the flats for two stages, before the finishing time trial from Lyss to Biel over 34 kilometres. Depending on how they've recovered from the Giro, Paolo Savoldelli and Pavel Tonkov would have to be the big favourites for the GC, along with Alex Zülle, who came close to winning the Tour de Romandie.
Past winners
Winner Second Third 2001 Lance Armstrong (USA) Gilberto Simoni (Ita) Wladimir Belli (Ita) 2000 Oscar Camenzind (Swi) Dario Frigo (Ita) Wladimir Belli (Ita) 1999 Francesco Casagrande (Ita) Laurent Jalabert (Fra) Gilberto Simoni (Ita) 1998 Stefano Garzelli (Ita) Beat Zberg (Swi) Wladimir Belli (Ita) 1997 Christophe Agnolutto (Fra) Oscar Camenzind (Swi) Jan Ullrich (Ger) 1996 Peter Luttenberger (Aut) Gianni Faresin (Ita) Gianni Bugno (Ita) 1995 Pawel Tonkov (Rus) Alex Zülle (Swi) Zenon Jaskula (Pol) 1994 Pascal Richard (Swi) Wladimir Pulnikow (Rus) Gianluca Pierobon (Ita) 1993 Marco Saligari (Ita) Rolf Järmann (Swi) Fernando Escartin (Spa) 1992 Giorgio Furlan (Ita) Gianni Bugno (Ita) Fabian Jeker (Swi) 1991 Luc Roosen (Bel) Pascal Richard (Swi) Andrew Hampsten (USA) 1990 Sean Kelly (Irl) Robert Millar (Gb) Andrew Hampsten (USA) 1989 Beat Breu (Swi) Daniel Steiger (Swi) Jörg Müller (Swi) 1988 Helmut Wechselberger (Aut) Steve Bauer (Can) Acacio da Silva (Por) 1987 Andrew Hampsten (USA) Peter Winnen (Ned) Fabio Parra (Col) 1986 Andrew Hampsten (USA) Robert Millar (GB) Greg Lemond (USA) 1985 Phil Anderson (Aus) Niki Rüttimann (Swi) Guido Winterberg (Swi) 1984 Urs Zimmermann (Swi) Silva da Acacio (Por) Gerhard Zadrobilek (Aut) 1983 Sean Kelly (Ire) Peter Winnen (Ned) Jean-Marie Grezet (Swi) 1982 Giuseppe Saronni (Ita) Theo de Rooy (Ned) Guido van Calster (Bel) 1981 Beat Breu (Swi) Joseph Fuchs (Swi) Leonardo Natale (Ita) 1980 Mario Beggia (Ita) Josef Fuchs (Swi) Joop Zoetemelk (Ned) 1979 Wilfried Wesemael (Bel) Rudi Pevenage (Bel) Leonardo Mazzantini (Ita) 1978 Paul Wellens (Bel) Ueli Sutter (Swi) Josef Fuchs (Swi) 1977 Michel Pollentier (Bel) Lucien van Impe (Bel) Bert Pronk (Ned) 1976 Hennie Kuiper (Ned) Michel Pollentier (Bel) José Pesarradona (Spa) 1975 Roger de Vlaeminck (Bel) Eddy Merckx (Bel) Louis Pfenninger (Swi) 1974 Eddy Merckx (Bel) Gösta Pettersson (Swe) Louis Pfenninger (Swi) 1973 José-Manuel Fuente (Spa) Donato Giuliani (Ita) Wladimiro Panizza (Ita) 1972 Louis Pfenninger (Swi) Roger Pingeon (Fra) Michele Dancelli (Ita) 1971 Georges Pintens (Bel) Louis Pfenninger (Swi) Ugo Colombo (Ita) 1970 Roberto Poggiali (Ita) Louis Pfenninger (Swi) Primo Mori (Ita) 1969 Vittorio Adorni (Ita) Aurelio Gonzales (Spa) Bernard Vifian (Swi) 1968 Louis Pfenninger (Swi) Robert Hagmann (Swi) Hermann van Springel (Bel) 1967 Gianni Motta (Ita) Rolf Maurer (Swi) Luis-Pedro Santamarina (Spa) 1966 Ambrogio Portalupi (Ita) Carlo Chiappano (Ita) Ruedi Zollinger (Swi) 1965 Franco Bitossi (Ita) Joseph Huysmans (Bel) Marcello Mugnaini (Ita) 1964 Rolf Maurer (Swi) Franco Balmamion (Ita) Italo Zilioli (Ita) 1963 Giuseppe Fezzardi (Ita) Rolf Maurer (Swi) Attilio Moresi (Swi) 1962 Hans Junkermann (Ger) Franco Balmamion (Ita) Aldo Moser (Ita) 1961 Attilio Moresi (Swi) Hilaire Couvreur (Bel) Alfred Rüegg (Swi) 1960 Alfred Rüegg (Swi) Kurt Gimmi (Swi) René Strehler (Swi) 1959 Hans Junkermann (Ger) Henri Anglade (Fra) Federico Bahamontes (Spa) 1958 Pasquale Fornara (Ita) Hans Junkermann (Ger) Nino Catalano (Ita) 1957 Pasquale Fornara (Ita) Edgar Sorgeloos (Bel) Attilio Moresi (Swi) 1956 Rolf Graf (Swi) Fritz Schär (Swi) Joseph Planckaert (Bel) 1955 Hugo Koblet (Swi) Stan Ockers (Bel) Carlo Clerici (Swi) 1954 Pasquale Fornara (Ita) Agostino Coletto (Ita) Giancarlo Astrua (Ita) 1953 Hugo Koblet (Swi) Fritz Schär (Swi) Danilo Barozzi (Ita) 1952 Pasquale Fornara (Ita) Ferdinand Kübler (Swi) Carlo Clerici (Swi) 1951 Ferdinand Kübler (Swi) Hugo Koblet (Swi) Alfredo Martini (Ita) 1950 Hugo Koblet (Swi) Jean Goldschmit (Lux) Aldo Ronconi (Ita) 1949 Gottfried Weilenmann (Swi) Georges Aeschlimann (Swi) Ernst Stettler (Swi) 1948 Ferdinand Kübler (Swi) Giulio Bresci (Ita) Hans Sommer (Swi) 1947 Gino Bartali (Ita) Giulio Bresci (Ita) Stan Ockers (Bel) 1946 Gino Bartali (Ita) Josef Wagner (Swi) Aldo Ronconi (Ita) 1942 Ferdinand Kübler (Swi) Willi Kern (Swi) Fritz Stocker (Swi) 1941 Josef Wagner (Swi) Werner Buchwalder (Swi) Ferdinand Kübler (Swi) 1939 Robert Zimmermann (Swi) Max Bolliger (Swi) Christophe Didier (Lux) 1938 Giovanni Valetti (Ita) Arsène Mersch (Lux) Severino Canavesi (Ita) 1937 Karl Litschi (Swi) Leo Amberg (Swi) Walter Blattmann (Swi) 1936 Henri Garnier (Bel) Gustave Deloor (Bel) Leo Amberg (Swi) 1935 Gaspard Rinaldi (Fra) Leo Amberg (Swi) Henri Garnier (Bel) 1934 Ludwig Geyer (Ger) Léon Level (Fra) Francesco Camusso (Ita) 1933 Max Bulla (Aut) Albert Büchi (Swi) Gaspard Rinaldi (Fra) Past winners courtesy of Mario Stiehl, www.world-of-cycling.com
