Formerly one of the late season world cup races coming before the Giro de Lombardie you would often see that late battle of world cup points here in Switzerland. The race returns and its function is somewhat similar a points gathering exercise now early on in the season for the CDiv2 teams. But you feel the race has a history with its two most recent winners including one of the most decorated Man Game riders in Damiano Cunego.
You feel that the favourites for today Diego Milan Ricardo Serrano Benoît Daeninck Manuel Ortega Fabio Ciccarese
cannot quite live up to the 'little prince's reputation but they can at least add their own bit of history.
Plenty of teams will fancy this one though with its tough almost mountainous parcours on the long circuit around the hills near Zurich. It is clear that one team are determined to give a good showing as they set a good pace nuetralising any early attacks. It is AMEX who are working for their leader here Carlos Alberto Ospina
They fancy that they are beginning to get into the season after what has to be said has been a slow start. But with such a long route they have to allow a break to form eventually and the foot soldiers are sent away as usual for a sortie on the first main 40km circuit.
Kasper Klostergaard Tom Meeusen Jonathan Hivert Marius Bernatonis Mark McNally Dalibor Grželj Jan Almblad Ken Sebastian Vassdål Idan Shapira Dragan Spasic Konstantin Klimiankou
are the men away from the pack here and it is a real mix of quality. There is some dangerous riders in there and Tyskie another favoured team not quite performing in the early part of the season who are interested in controlling things. It is useful Spanish climber Antton Luengo
who forces the pace on the ramps of up to 9%.
It is a hard pace that he sets considering it is the first circuit but three more riders manage to bridge up to the break anyway led by Alberto Rodriguez Oliver
The other two are Angel Vicioso
and Jake Sutherland
An interesting move by Samsung and EfTel as these two riders are clearly their hilly leaders. As they move onto the second circuit another strong rider bridges across to the front group.
It's the highest paid rider on the CTour in Luis Felipe Laverde Jimenez
You have to fancy that this could be a good classic for the Colombian with its tough hills, he looked in attacking mode in San Juan's big clib he joins up to make 15 up front. The front group now have some riders forcing the pace though splitting things up.
It is survival of the fittest up there as only late attackers Sutherland, Vicioso, Laverde Jimenez, Rodriguez Oliver remain with McNally, Shapira, Klimankou and Grzelj.
Behind the pack not completely reacting to the moves by the decent attackers are still setting a hard tempo and it is mainly Alstom, Het Nieuwsblad, AMEX and Tyskie who are trying to control things. They reduce the chasing pack down to 65 riders.
Onto circuit three and the lead eight have the bit between their teeth here they now the five man squads behind are getting thread bare already. But in forcing the pace they lose one of their number in Grzelj.
The pack becomes split and a lose of concentration from someone allows 14 riders to get a minutes gap over the pack lead once again by Tysie's Luengo.
Making what could be a crucial split are: Ospina, Crane, Zwisanski, Euser Luengo, Munoz Giraldo, Rangel Fernandez, Sampaio, Herve Manuel Ortega Smelcerovic, Sobal Maxim Burlutsky Ricardo Serrano
Alstom are the only team really reacting in the pack, which is a bit surprising clearly some teams are playing a dangerous waiting game.
S Tel will be disappointed that Sobal cannot live with the pace of this escape group and falls back with the less surprising to be dropped Crane.
At the beginning of the last circuit of 40km then we have E1: Lead 7 (Laverde, Sutherland, Vicioso, Rodriguez Oliver, McNally, Shapira and Klimanakou) E2: Grzelj at 2.09 E3: 20 riders the remnents of the previous break plus new escape group at 3.18 Peloton : at 4.30
It feels as if the peloton is beginning to give up the goose here and some riders are not happy about this as Het Nieuwsblad try to launch Kenny Van der Schueren
Benoît Daeninck
and Laurent Mangel
join up with him and later three more try to join these three.
Krzysztof Szczawinski Diego Milan
and Ruslan Grychenko
try to make it but they do not have the legs to bridge to the big 20 man group ahead and drop back to the coasting pack.
We move onto the final climbs and it feels as if the winner will come from the lead 7 or the 21 riders behind.
The lead seven eye each other as we turn off the main road onto the climbs. Who has the legs to make a move?
The lead 7 have about two minutes on now 12 chasers who are:
Sampiao, Fernandez and Herve (Het N)
Euser, Ospina (AMEX)
Rangel, M Giraldo and Luengo (Tyskie)
Ortega (UPC)
Serrano (P Lasko)
Burlutsky (Armavia) and
Smelcerovic (S Tel)
Back in the pack Vodafone have taking up chasing 3.30 back from the lead seven through Thurakit Boonratanathanakorn
The middle group sensing teammates have nothing left to chase with see's now team leaders Herve, Serrano, Ospina, Smelcerovic and M Giraldo attack.
Up front though it looks as if Laverder Jimenez has plenty left justifying his wage by distancing the others in the lead group.
Experience Spaniard and Aussie stalwart Sutherland prise open a gap to form a second chase group.
Sutherland is a bit of a surprise contender here, but he cannot hold the wheel of Samsung Mol's sprinter who can climb Vicioso.
With 12.5 to go then
Laverde Jimenez leads
Vicioso is at 1.00
Sutherland at 1.12
Klimanokou, R Oliver and Shapira at 2.04
Sampiao, Serrano, Ospina, Smelecerovic, Luengo, M Giraldo, Herve, McNally at 2.29
Rangel at 2.49
Ortega, Burlutsky, Fernandez at 3.39
Pack is at 4.33
Munoz Giraldo kicks one last time and only Herve can match this late move.
But they are racing for second really as Laverde Jimenez was foolishly allowed to get too far up the road and takes a prized victory for Cativen.
The team have recovered from a disappointing South American stage race and Laverde Jimenez may start to eye up individual glory this year. Behind him Samsung Mol will be pleased to see Vicioso hang on valently for second.
Sutherland also holds off a fast finishing M Giraldo and Herve for the final podium place.
Serrano holds off Sampaio for 7th, Het Nieuwsblad doing a good team display here in Switzerland with a second rider in the top team. Ospina gives AMEX some cheer with 8th place ahead of Luengo and Smelcerovic.
Favourites suchs as Milan and Daeninck finish nearly five minutes back, Milan perhaps guilty of team tactics with Rodriguez Oliver (who finishes 13th) gambled on.
