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67th Tour de Suisse- 2.HC
Switzerland, June 16-25, 2003
Prologue - June 16: Egerkingen ITT, 7.1 km
Cancellara storms home
By Jeff Jones
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Swiss rider Fabian Cancellara (Fassa Bortolo) found his legs to win the opening stage of the Tour de Suisse, a 7.1 kilometre prologue in Egerkingen. One of the favourites before the stage, Cancellara rode a well measured race to win in a time of 8'46.28, averaging nearly 48 km/h over the technical, hilly parcours. In second place, and the leader for a long time, was Spaniard Oscar Pereiro (Phonak), who with an 8'48.00 finished 1.72 seconds behind Cancellara. Third place went to Australian Bradley McGee, who is 'fresh' from the Dauphine Libere but looking to be in good form for the Tour de France prologue on July 5.
The stage was run in warm, sunny conditions with a slight wind blowing into the riders' faces as they headed to the finish line. The first part of the course was the hardest, with a tough climb in the first kilometre followed by a moderately technical descent. The last part was flat and fast with a long finishing straight. It was a typical stage for specialists with a chance to see how the GC riders fared against each other.
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The second rider off, Thorsten Hiekmann (Telekom), posted a respectable time of 8'57, which would eventually land him 11th overall. He was bettered by teammate Giuseppe Guerini shortly afterwards, before Lauri Aus (Ag2r) and then 2002 Giro prologue winner Juan Carlos Dominguez (Phonak) sliced six seconds off the time. Oscar Pereiro (Phonak) followed with a very good time of 8'48.00, and the two teammates held the top two positions on the leaderboard for quite some time.
Bradley McGee (FDJeux.com) set off as one of the later riders, and had a great second half to come within 0.40 seconds of Pereiro's time. However he didn't have to worry about the "what if?" for long, as Fabian Cancellara pounded his 54x11 gear to a new top time of 8'46.28, again riding very well in the second half.
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All eyes were on Jan Ullrich (Team Bianchi), who was a protagonist in yesterday's GP Gippingen. The Swiss residing German, who tends to be better at the longer time trials, conceded 11 seconds to Cancellara to finish 13th. Ullrich also had a big gear on, with a 55 front chainring and an 11 cog on the back.
Finally there was defending champion Alex Zülle (Phonak), who was the best of the GC riders with a time of 8'51. Zülle finished fourth with that time, giving his Phonak team three riders in the top five, which will certainly help in the stages to come.
Tomorrow Cancellara and his Fassa Bortolo team will have to defend the jersey between Egerkingen and Le Locle over 163 kilometres. The stage is hilly, taking the riders up to 1000 metres, however it should remain together for a bunch sprint.
Photos
Images by Markus Zimmerli/www.CycleSearch.ch
- A Bianchi rider puts on the gas
- A CCC-Polsat rider leans into a corner
- No, the hill isn't quite that steep
- The zebra stripes of Domina Vacanze-Elitron
- A Lotto-Domo rider heading for home
- Fassa Bortolo will be happy with the leaders jersey
- A tired looking FDJeux.com rider near the end of the stage
- Phonak Hearing Systems finished the stage at the top of the teams listing
- A Saeco rider pushing his Cannondale to the limit
- A Team Telekom rider leans into the corner
- Fabian Cancellara (Fassa Bortol) on the podium
Results
1 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Fassa Bortolo 8.46.28 (47.908 km/h) 2 Oscar Pereiro (Spa) Phonak Hearing Systems 0.01.72 3 Bradley McGee (Aus) FDJeux.com 0.02.08 4 Alex Zülle (Swi) Phonak Hearing Systems 0.04.56 5 Juan Carlos Dominguez (Spa) Phonak Hearing Systems 0.05.35 6 Lauri Aus (Est) AG2r Prévoyance 0.05.64 7 Tobias Steinhauser (Ger) Team Bianchi 0.06.40 8 Sebastian Lang (Ger) Gerolsteiner 0.07.84 9 Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) Team Telekom 0.10.56 10 Giuseppe Guerini (Ita) Team Telekom 0.11.11 11 Torsten Hiekmann (Ger) Team Telekom 0.11.66 12 Uwe Peschel (Ger) Gerolsteiner 0.11.69 13 Jan Ullrich (Ger) Team Bianchi 0.11.85 14 Patrik Sinkewitz (Ger) Quick.Step-Davitamon 0.12.32 15 Jurgen Van Goolen (Bel) Quick.Step-Davitamon 0.12.85 16 Rubens Bertogliati (Swi) Lampre 0.13.29 17 Stuart O'grady (Aus) Crédit Agricole 0.13.88 18 Bobby Julich (USA) Team Telekom 0.14.46 19 Oscar Camenzind (Swi) Phonak Hearing Systems 0.15.12 20 Paolo Bettini (Ita) Quick.Step-Davitamon 0.15.65 21 Kim Kirchen (Lux) Fassa Bortolo 0.16.07 22 Dario Frigo (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 0.16.12 23 Tadej Valjavec (Slo) Fassa Bortolo 0.16.48 24 Leif Hoste (Bel) Lotto-Domo 0.16.60 25 Daniele Nardello (Ita) Team Telekom 0.16.76 26 Ondrej Sosenka (Cze) CCC-Polsat 0.17.58 27 Baden Cooke (Aus) FDJeux.com 0.17.83 28 Michael Rich (Ger) Gerolsteiner 0.18.80 29 Nicolas Fritsch (Fra) FDJeux.com 0.20.17 30 Servais Knaven (Ned) Quick.Step-Davitamon 0.20.89 31 Sandy Casar (Fra) FDJeux.com 0.20.96 32 Tomasz Brozyna (Pol) CCC-Polsat 0.20.98 33 Sven Montgomery (Swi) Fassa Bortolo 0.21.02 34 Salvatore Commesso (Ita) Team Saeco 0.21.08 35 Julian Dean (NZl) Team CSC 0.21.39 36 Aitor Garmendia (Spa) Team Bianchi 0.21.56 37 Markus Zberg (Swi) Gerolsteiner 0.22.09 38 Bekim Christensen (Den) Team CSC 0.22.25 39 Serguei Ivanov (Rus) Fassa Bortolo 0.22.36 40 Malte Urban (Ger) Team Bianchi 0.22.56 41 Leon Van Bon (Ned) Lotto-Domo 0.22.71 42 David Plaza (Spa) Team Bianchi 0.22.90 43 Daniel Schnider (Swi) Phonak Hearing Systems 0.23.06 44 Alexandre Moos (Swi) Phonak Hearing Systems 0.23.08 45 Steffen Wesemann (Ger) Team Telekom 0.23.40 46 Tristan Hoffman (Ned) Team CSC 0.25.76 47 Nick Nuyens (Bel) Quick.Step-Davitamon 0.25.98 48 Gerhard Trampusch (Aut) Gerolsteiner 0.26.18 49 Wladimir Belli (Ita) Lampre 0.26.38 50 Francesco Casagrande (Ita) Lampre 0.27.08 51 Stephan Schreck (Ger) Team Telekom 0.28.16 52 Kevin Hulsmans (Bel) Quick.Step-Davitamon 0.28.32 53 Igor Astarloa (Spa) Team Saeco 0.29.21 54 Gabriele Missaglia (Ita) Lampre 0.29.66 55 Marius Sabaliauskas (Ltu) Team Saeco 0.30.22 56 Martin Derganc (Slo) Domina Vacanze-Elitron 0.30.42 57 Alexandr Kolobnev (Rus) Domina Vacanze-Elitron 0.30.60 58 Kyrylo Pospyeyev (Ukr) Domina Vacanze-Elitron 0.30.66 59 Massimo Giunti (Ita) Domina Vacanze-Elitron 0.31.37 60 Radoslaw Romanik (Pol) CCC-Polsat 0.31.76 61 Yohann Charpenteau (Fra) Crédit Agricole 0.32.09 62 Sergei Yakovlev (Kaz) Team Telekom 0.32.17 63 Christopher Jenner (Fra) Crédit Agricole 0.32.23 64 Jörg Ludewig (Ger) Team Saeco 0.32.33 65 Dariusz Baranowski (Pol) CCC-Polsat 0.32.88 66 Seweryn Kohut (Pol) CCC-Polsat 0.33.07 67 Franck Schleck (Lux) Team CSC 0.33.76 68 Bert Roesems (Bel) Palmans-Collstrop 0.34.17 69 Gustav Larsson (Swe) Fassa Bortolo 0.34.26 70 Niki Aebersold (Swi) Phonak Hearing Systems 0.35.61 71 Marco Fertonani (Ita) Phonak Hearing Systems 0.35.67 72 Rik Verbrugghe (Bel) Lotto-Domo 0.35.76 73 Marco Serpellini (Ita) Lampre 0.35.90 74 Piotr Chmielewski (Pol) CCC-Polsat 0.35.93 75 Mauro Facci (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 0.36.01 76 Roger Hammond (GBr) Palmans-Collstrop 0.36.18 77 Sergio Barbero (Ita) Lampre 0.36.19 78 Thierry De Groote (Bel) Palmans-Collstrop 0.36.20 79 Jimmy Casper (Fra) FDJeux.com 0.36.38 80 Simone Bertoletti (Ita) Lampre 0.36.77 81 Julien Laidoun (Fra) AG2r Prévoyance 0.36.94 82 Serge Baguet (Bel) Lotto-Domo 0.37.09 83 Fabian De Waele (Bel) Palmans-Collstrop 0.37.76 84 Aart Vierhouten (Ned) Lotto-Domo 0.37.95 85 Corey Sweet (Aus) Crédit Agricole 0.37.97 86 Stéphane Berges (Fra) AG2r Prévoyance 0.38.55 87 Eric Leblacher (Fra) Crédit Agricole 0.39.11 88 Paul Van Hyfte (Bel) Team CSC 0.39.23 89 Piotr Przydzial (Pol) CCC-Polsat 0.39.33 90 Romans Vainsteins (Lat) Vini Caldirola-SO.DI 0.39.77 91 Mirko Celestino (Ita) Team Saeco 0.40.09 92 Filippo Simeoni (Ita) Domina Vacanze-Elitron 0.40.37 93 Alessandro Cortinovis (Ita) Lampre 0.40.62 94 Davide Bramati (Ita) Quick.Step-Davitamon 0.41.30 95 Eddy Lembo (Fra) Palmans-Collstrop 0.41.34 96 Paolo Valoti (Ita) Domina Vacanze-Elitron 0.41.75 97 Robert Förster (Ger) Gerolsteiner 0.41.76 98 Christophe Agnolutto (Fra) AG2r Prévoyance 0.42.03 99 Nick Gates (Aus) Lotto-Domo 0.42.14 100 Robbie Mc Ewen (Aus) Lotto-Domo 0.42.32 101 Ivan Quaranta (Ita) Team Saeco 0.42.35 102 Régis Lhuiller (Fra) FDJeux.com 0.42.55 103 Thorsten Rund (Ger) Team Bianchi 0.43.40 104 Stefano Zanini (Ita) Team Saeco 0.43.43 105 Mark Scanlon (Irl) AG2r Prévoyance 0.43.81 106 Erki Putsep (Est) AG2r Prévoyance 0.44.87 107 Matthew Wilson (Aus) FDJeux.com 0.44.90 108 Marcus Ljungqvist (Swe) Crédit Agricole 0.45.23 109 Thierry Loder (Fra) AG2r Prévoyance 0.45.93 110 Lars Michaelsen (Den) Team CSC 0.46.31 111 Marco Milesi (Ita) Vini Caldirola-SO.DI 0.46.94 112 Marcel Strauss (Swi) Gerolsteiner 0.47.65 113 Massimiliano Gentili (Ita) Domina Vacanze-Elitron 0.48.67 114 Arvis Piziks (Lat) Team CSC 0.48.72 115 Jean-Cyril Robin (Fra) FDJeux.com 0.49.04 116 Domenico Passuello (Ita) Quick.Step-Davitamon 0.49.12 117 Juan Fuentes (Spa) Team Saeco 0.50.43 118 Olivier Trastour (Fra) AG2r Prévoyance 0.51.40 119 Pavel Tonkov (Rus) CCC-Polsat 0.51.52 120 Stefan Adamsson (Swe) Team Bianchi 0.51.71 121 Steve De Wolf (Bel) Palmans-Collstrop 0.51.75 122 Erwin Thijs (Bel) Palmans-Collstrop 0.51.87 123 Miguel Angel Perdiguero (Spa) Domina Vacanze-Elitron 0.51.90 124 Hans De Clercq (Bel) Lotto-Domo 0.52.16 125 Peter Wuyts (Bel) Palmans-Collstrop 0.52.48 126 Gianluca Sironi (Ita) Vini Caldirola-SO.DI 0.57.46 127 Geert Van Bondt (Bel) Team CSC 0.58.51 128 Lilian Jegou (Fra) Crédit Agricole 0.59.73 129 Steffen Weigold (Ger) Gerolsteiner 1.00.52 130 Patrick Calcagni (Swi) Vini Caldirola-SO.DI 1.00.99 131 Cédric Herve (Fra) Crédit Agricole 1.01.35 132 Simone Masciarelli (Ita) Vini Caldirola-SO.DI 1.02.22 133 Sven Teutenberg (Ger) Team Bianchi 1.03.29 134 Pietro Zucconi (Swi) Vini Caldirola-SO.DI 1.05.53 135 Mauro Radaelli (Ita) Vini Caldirola-SO.DI 1.12.43 Points 1 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Fassa Bortolo 15 pts 2 Oscar Pereiro (Spa) Phonak Hearing Systems 12 3 Bradley Mc Gee (Aus) FDJeux.com 10 4 Alex Zülle (Swi) Phonak Hearing Systems 8 5 Juan Carlos Dominguez (Spa) Phonak Hearing Systems 7 6 Lauri Aus (Est) AG2r Prévoyance 6 7 Tobias Steinhauser (Ger) Team Bianchi 5 8 Sebastian Lang (Ger) Gerolsteiner 4 9 Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) Team Telekom 3 10 Giuseppe Guerini (Ita) Team Telekom 2 11 Torsten Hiekmann (Ger) Team Telekom 1 Teams 1 Phonak Hearing Systems 26.29 2 Team Telekom 0.21 3 Fassa Bortolo 4 Gerolsteiner 0.27 5 Team Bianchi 0.28 6 Quick.Step-Davitamon 0.29 7 FDJeux.com 8 Lampre 0.55 9 Team CSC 0.58 10 CCC-Polsat 0.59 11 Lotto-Domo 1.03 12 Crédit Agricole 1.07 13 Team Saeco 1.09 14 AG2r Prévoyance 15 Domina Vacanze-Elitron 1.19 16 Palmans-Collstrop 1.35 17 Vini Caldirola-SO.DI 2.13
