Home  Tech   Features   Road   MTB   Cyclocross   Track   News   Photos    Feedback 

Home

Preview
Start list
Past winners

Stages & Results

 

Map

 

Photos

 

2001 results


Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor


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

Click for larger image
Erik Zabel
Photo: © AFP

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

back to top