It’s a hilly prologue that will get things started in Switzerland. It’s very similar to last year’s prologue, which was won by Tenorio, with an eight seconds gap down to runner up Popovych.
Stage favourites are Brajkovic Fothen Uran
But you must ask what puncheurs like Boasson Hagen Sanchez
can do on such a course.
168 riders are ready, and it’s Serrano
who sets off first, opening the show.
Sütterlin
could be a good “test rider” to check if this one is for the pure time trialists or for the puncheurs.
He’s followed by Wyss
who’s more of a puncheur. At the checkpoint at the top of the hill, it’s really no doubt that the climb favours puncheurs. Wyss takes a massive lead, 8 seconds faster than Sütterlin, clocking 8’30. That’s also the gap crossing the finish line, as Wyss is the provisional leader with a time of 12’28.
Wiggins
is a good time trialist and a decent puncheur. Though, he crosses the finishing line 4 seconds behind Wyss, good enough for a provisional third, at the same time as
Vaugrenard Project
Steensen
is a good Danish chrono man, and he’ll certainly be important for team leader Pluchkin, both for feedback from this prologue and thinking of the team time trial later this race. He’s five seconds slower than Wyss at the top of the hill. He descends very well, and clocks 12’31, 3 seconds slower, over the finish line. That’s the provisional second place.
Koenigsegg have sent out their team leader Pedraza
as their third rider! And this is interesting, considering he’s a real mountain goat, but not great at the time trial bike or on the hills. He reaches the summit of the hill in 8’35. That’s also the gap at the finishing line, and 12’33 is a provisional 11th.
Rujano
is next of the GC favourites out on the course. And he’s going well! 8’29 is only one second slower than Wyss on the hill, now it will be all about the descent.
And he is just behind! Rujano
stops the clock at 12’28, but the judges say he’s just behind Wyss.
Posthuma
is next, and he’s a very interesting rider, considering he won the prologue in Vuelta a España, which had a similar profile. He starts well today too, 8’28 at the climb is the provisional lead. He follows up with a massive 12’22 at the finish line. That’s 6 seconds better than Wyss! He’s obviously the new leader.
That's the top 27 for you as 75 riders have crossed the line in Lugano. You can see that riders like Van der Velde Malori Ghyselinck
have all posted good times and sit well inside the provisional top 10.
Pendleton’s captain Kohl
is next to arrive the finish in the streets of Lugano. He was one second faster than Posthuma on the climb, but crossing the line he’s two seconds behind! 12’24 is a provisional second.
Schädlich
is one of those big time trial guys, and he does well considering the hill. 12’28 is a provisional fourth!
And here’s a rider who has all the tools needed for such a prologue! Kangert
is indeed fast up the climb, 8’24 is two seconds faster than Kohl on the climb.
He storms down the descent and is a second faster than Posthuma at the finish! 12’20 is our new best time.
Koren
is the first rider expected to challenge Kangert’s new best time. But he doesn’t look like he’s up for it today. 12’30 is a disappointing provisional 11th.
Kittel
shows that the time trial stat definitely counts for something as he nets 12’28 and a provisional fifth. But seeing a rider like Wyss in front of him, how much does it count?
Grivko
is next, and he’s approaching the finish fast! He used 8’25 on the climb, meaning just a second slower than Kangert. And he’s just short at the finish. 12’22 is just behind Posthuma and a provisional third.
Izagirre
is a similar rider to Kangert, meaning he’s capable of claiming the provisional lead. And what a climb! 8’21 is a new best time at the top of the hill. He ends his inspired ride in 12’16, a new best time!
Dees
will be Fothen’s key lieutenant here in Switzerland. Though, on the prologue he rides for his own chance. He disappoints slightly, 12’30 is 14 seconds off Izagirre’s pace and only good enough for 18th.
Craven
blitzes through the checkpoint at the top of the climb in 8’25, four seconds slower than the provisional leader from Spain. He isn’t able to take back any time on the descent. 12’22 is six seconds off the pace and a provisional fourth.
Wild card team Hollister’s GC hope Kiserlovski
goes well on the climb, eight seconds slower than Izagirre at 8’26. He fades though, and comes home in provisional eight, 11 seconds behind the Hollister rider.
Denifl
is another GC hope relying on a good prologue. He comes home provisional 16th, 12’29 is 13 seconds slower than Izagirre.
But just behind him comes Monfort
And he is quick! He takes the lead at the top of the climb at 8’16. Though, he isn’t one of the best descenders, and is one second behind Izagirre at the finish! 12’17 is a provisional second.
But there are definitely other riders wanting to have a say about the top spots at this stage! Sanchez
flies up the hill, beating Monfort’s time with two seconds! The Spaniard uses his descending skills, and keeps his lead. 12’13 is three seconds faster than Izagirre and a strong time! Good enough for the stage win?
Intxausti
is the first to challenge Sanchez. And Bacardi’s GC hope stands no chance! 17 seconds off the pace at the top of the climb is followed by a provisional 24th, 12’30 and 17 seconds slower than Sanchez.
Brajkovic
was tipped as one of the favourites for the stage win, and he looks comfortable on the bike, even in the steep section. 8’17 at the summit is only a second behind Sanchez, and he storms home to the provisional lead! 12’11 is the new time to beat.
Then it’s Machado’s
time to test this tough hill. A good start with 8’18 and a provisional third on the climb is followed by 12’14 at the finish, provisional third, 3 seconds behind the new leader Brajkovic.
The big GC guys are all coming now, as Amador
is next. But the Costa Rican can’t threaten Sanchez. 12’22 is provisional eight,11 seconds short of the leader’s time.
Uran
fights well on the steep section of 13 percent. He isn’t the best on this type of terrain, and he’s 13 seconds slower both at the time check and at the finish. 12’24 gives him 12th, 13 seconds behind Brajkovic.
Fothen
is fourth last to start, and as one of the pre-stage favourites, you must fancy the German’s chances! He’s a massive 11 seconds behind at the top of the climb. He loses another second downhill and crosses the line in 12’23. That’s a provisional 11th, 12 seconds behind the Slovenian leader.
Schleck
looks aggressive when he starts the climb, and he gives it everything to limit his losses on the time trial bike. That’s easier said than done, and he’s 16 seconds behind at the top of the climb. He actually gains two seconds descending, and comes home as provisional 15th, 14 seconds slower than the Slovenian leader.
Pluchkin
is one of the world’s best time trialists and climbers, but he lacks a bit of the needed explosiveness on these short climbs. Considering that, he does decent on the climb, only three seconds slower than Brajkovic at the top. And downhill he really turns the motor on! 12’13 is good for the third best time, two seconds behind Brajkovic.
Boasson Hagen
is without any doubt the best puncheur in this field. Though, he’s not more than a decent chrono man, meaning he has to rely on his skills riding up the hill rather than going downhill on the other side. And he certainly does! The time keepers at the top of the climb says 8’11, which is 4 seconds faster than Sanchez and 5 seconds faster than Brajkovic.
He loses three seconds to Brajkovic on the descent, but it’s just enough for the Norwegian. He’s the first stage winner in this year’s Tour de Suisse. 12’09 is 2 seconds faster than the Slovenian.
Stage results
1
Edvald Boasson Hagen
Aker - MOT
12'09
2
Janez Brajkovic
Heineken presented by California Giant Berry Farms
+ 2
3
Luis Leon Sanchez Gil
Project 1t4i
+ 4
4
Aleksandr Pluchkin
Team B&O
+ 5
5
Tiago Machado
Pearl Adidas
+ 6
6
Ion Izagirre
Hollister Pro Cycling
+ 7
7
Maxime Monfort
Lotto - Cervelo
+ 9
8
Tanel Kangert
Pearl Adidas
+ 11
9
Joost Posthuma
Project 1t4i
+ 13
10
Andrei Grivko
Team B&O
+ 14
11
Dan Craven
Pro Team Venchi - Sugoi
s.t.
12
Andrei Amador
UBS - BMC
s.t.
13
Bernhard Kohl
Pendleton's
+ 15
14
Markus Fothen
Festina-Canal+
s.t.
15
Rigoberto Úran
Milka - AVG
+ 16
16
Jacob Fiedler
Koenigsegg
s.t.
17
Andy Schleck
Vesuvio - Accumalux
+ 17
18
Robert Kiserlovski
Hollister Pro Cycling
+ 19
19
Marcel Wyss
Wiggle Professional Cycling Team
s.t.
20
Jan Ghyselinck
Wiggle Professional Cycling Team
+ 20
21
Lucas Schädlich
Team Bacardi
s.t.
22
Marcel Kittel
Vesuvio - Accumalux
s.t.
23
Koen De Kort
Project 1t4i
s.t.
24
Brent Bookwalter
Wikipedia
s.t.
25
José Rujano
Pokerstars.com
s.t.
26
Jose Goncalves
Pearl Adidas
+ 21
27
Stefan Denifl
Wikipedia
s.t.
28
Dmitri Grabovski
Team Bacardi
s.t.
29
Michael Schär
Wiggle Professional Cycling Team
+ 22
30
Ricardo Van der Velde
Team Bacardi
s.t.
31
Adrian Malori
Wiggle Professional Cycling Team
s.t.
32
Ivan Kovalev
Festina-Canal+
s.t.
33
Kristjan Koren
Heineken presented by California Giant Berry Farms
s.t.
34
Jason Donald
Festina-Canal+
s.t.
35
Tim Dees
Festina-Canal+
s.t.
36
Michael Faerk Christensen
Team B&O
s.t.
37
Jakub Danacik
Koenigsegg
s.t.
38
Beñat Intxausti
Team Bacardi
s.t.
39
André Steensen
Team B&O
+ 23
40
Viktor Renäng
Koenigsegg
s.t.
41
Reinhardt Janse van Rensburg
Wikipedia
s.t.
42
Roger Kluge
Pokerstars.com
s.t.
43
Pim Ligthart
Heineken presented by California Giant Berry Farms
s.t.
44
Matthias Frank
UBS - BMC
s.t.
45
David Livramento
Aker - MOT
s.t.
46
Luke Durbridge
Simply Red Bull
s.t.
47
Jack Bauer
Heineken presented by California Giant Berry Farms
s.t.
48
Dimitri Champion
UBS - BMC
s.t.
49
Matthieu Ladagnous
Pendleton's
s.t.
50
Benoît Vaugrenard
Project 1t4i
+ 24
51
Bradley Wiggins
Pendleton's
s.t.
52
Ronan Van Zandbeek
Heineken presented by California Giant Berry Farms
s.t.
53
Richie Porte
Vesuvio - Accumalux
s.t.
54
Imanol Erviti
Santander
s.t.
55
Rafaâ Chtioui
UBS - BMC
s.t.
56
Thomas De Gendt
Vesuvio - Accumalux
s.t.
57
Stef Clement
Pokerstars.com
s.t.
58
Vladimir Gusev
Pendleton's
s.t.
59
Alexander Wetterhall
Koenigsegg
+ 25
60
Kristof Vandewalle
Project 1t4i
s.t.
61
Laurent Pichon
Festina-Canal+
s.t.
62
Walter Pedraza
Koenigsegg
s.t.
63
Serge Pauwels
Koenigsegg
s.t.
64
Freddy Johansson
Koenigsegg
s.t.
65
Steven Burke
Wiggle Professional Cycling Team
s.t.
66
Alfredo Balloni
Wiggle Professional Cycling Team
s.t.
67
Ramunas Navardauskas
Festina-Canal+
s.t.
68
Morgan Kneisky
Pearl Adidas
s.t.
69
Jurgen Van Goolen
Pokerstars.com
+ 26
70
Kiril Yatsevich
Team Bacardi
s.t.
71
Riccardo Zoidl
Vesuvio - Accumalux
s.t.
72
Carlos Oyarzun
Pendleton's
s.t.
73
Blake Caldwell
Wikipedia
s.t.
74
Tom Dumoulin
Team Puma - SAP
s.t.
75
Enrico Franzoi
Pearl Adidas
s.t.
76
Tyler Butterfield
Team Bacardi
s.t.
77
Marcel Barth
Vesuvio - Accumalux
s.t.
78
Thomas Faiers
Pendleton's
s.t.
79
Jasha Sütterlin
Team Puma - SAP
s.t.
80
Sébastien Rosseler
Project 1t4i
+ 27
81
Jure Zrimsek
Aker - MOT
s.t.
82
Stelly Robert
Wikipedia
s.t.
83
Niki Terpstra
Pokerstars.com
s.t.
84
Yoann Offredo
Pearl Adidas
s.t.
85
Lars Petter Nordhaug
Aker - MOT
s.t.
86
Gianni Meersman
Team Puma - SAP
s.t.
87
Matea Kvasina
Vesuvio - Accumalux
s.t.
88
Mattia Cattaneo
Wiggle Professional Cycling Team
s.t.
89
Wilson Marentes
Hollister Pro Cycling
s.t.
90
Silvan Dillier
UBS - BMC
s.t.
91
Freddy Cruz
Hollister Pro Cycling
s.t.
92
Dion Beukeboom
Wikipedia
s.t.
93
Steven Cummings
Pendleton's
s.t.
94
Teodoro Costagli
Wiggle Professional Cycling Team
s.t.
95
Elia Viviani
Simply Red Bull
s.t.
96
Panagiotis Vlatos
Festina-Canal+
+ 28
97
Tom Stubbe
Simply Red Bull
s.t.
98
Zdenek Stybar
Milka - AVG
s.t.
99
Nick Kinney
Wikipedia
s.t.
100
Dan Holloway
Pokerstars.com
s.t.
101
Jakub Novak
Milka - AVG
s.t.
102
Matthieu Sprick
Wikipedia
+ 29
103
Jackson Rodríguez
Pearl Adidas
s.t.
104
Adil Jelloul
Simply Red Bull
s.t.
105
Aidis Kruopis
Team Bacardi
s.t.
106
Jakub Kratochvila
Milka - AVG
s.t.
107
Joseph Cooper
Simply Red Bull
s.t.
108
Thomas Frei
UBS - BMC
s.t.
109
Coen Vermeltfoort
Lotto - Cervelo
+ 30
110
Yonathan Monsalve
Hollister Pro Cycling
s.t.
111
Tim Kennaugh
Pendleton's
s.t.
112
Markus Fahnert
Project 1t4i
s.t.
113
Tom Thill
Team Bacardi
s.t.
114
Florian Stalder
UBS - BMC
+ 31
115
Erick Rowsell
Simply Red Bull
s.t.
116
Andrei Nechita
Project 1t4i
s.t.
117
Christophe Kern
Pokerstars.com
s.t.
118
Christopher Juul-Jensen
Aker - MOT
s.t.
119
Ole Hirschlein
Lotto - Cervelo
s.t.
120
John Degenkolb
Pokerstars.com
s.t.
121
Eric Berthou
Pearl Adidas
s.t.
122
Edoardo Girardi
UBS - BMC
+ 32
123
Sébastien Minard
Team Puma - SAP
s.t.
124
Alexandr Nepomnyachsniy
Milka - AVG
s.t.
125
Piet Rooijakkers
Lotto - Cervelo
s.t.
126
Jaroslav Kulhavy
Milka - AVG
s.t.
127
Leigh Howard
Milka - AVG
s.t.
128
Maarten Wynants
Team Puma - SAP
s.t.
129
Juraj Sagan
Team B&O
+ 33
130
Javier Moreno
Santander
s.t.
131
Remberto Jaramillo
Aker - MOT
s.t.
132
Marcel Aregger
Pro Team Venchi - Sugoi
s.t.
133
Lars Croket
Lotto - Cervelo
s.t.
134
Taylor Tolleson
Heineken presented by California Giant Berry Farms
+ 34
135
Juan Abenhamar Gallego Martin
Santander
s.t.
136
Fabio Felline
Team Puma - SAP
s.t.
137
Arkaitz Durán
Santander
s.t.
138
Piter Campero
Festina-Canal+
s.t.
139
Lorents Ola Aasvold
Aker - MOT
s.t.
140
Rafael Rodríguez Segarra
Santander
s.t.
141
Aleksandr Serebriakov
Hollister Pro Cycling
s.t.
142
Gert Dockx
Pro Team Venchi - Sugoi
+ 35
143
Rafael Serrano
Santander
s.t.
144
Bjorn Selander
Hollister Pro Cycling
+ 36
145
Sondre Sørtveit
Aker - MOT
s.t.
146
Ole Haavardsholm
Pro Team Venchi - Sugoi
s.t.
147
Elia Favilli
Pro Team Venchi - Sugoi
s.t.
148
Francisco Javier Echarri
Santander
s.t.
149
Mickaël Delage
Team Puma - SAP
s.t.
150
Michael Matthews
Heineken presented by California Giant Berry Farms
s.t.
151
Andreas Stauff
Lotto - Cervelo
+ 37
152
Kristoffer Nielsen
Team B&O
s.t.
153
Juan Van Heerden
Simply Red Bull
s.t.
154
Evert Verbist
Milka - AVG
+ 38
155
Mwangi Samwel
Vesuvio - Accumalux
s.t.
156
Thomas Riber-Sellebjerg
Team B&O
s.t.
157
Juan José Haedo
Heineken presented by California Giant Berry Farms
s.t.
158
Greg Van Avermaet
Pro Team Venchi - Sugoi
s.t.
159
Rinaldo Nocentini
Control Team
+ 39
160
Maciej Ulanowski
Lotto - Cervelo
+ 40
161
Paride Grillo
Koenigsegg
s.t.
162
Mauricio Sanz
Team Puma - SAP
+ 41
163
Sergio Marinangeli
Pro Team Venchi - Sugoi
s.t.
164
Giacomo Nizzolo
Hollister Pro Cycling
s.t.
165
Nikias Arndt
Team B&O
s.t.
166
Juan Carlos Rienda Segura
Santander
+ 42
167
Michael Vanderaerden
Lotto - Cervelo
s.t.
168
Alexander Krieger
Simply Red Bull
s.t.
169
Wladimir Gustov
Control Team
s.t.
170
Luca Paolini
Control Team
+ 44
171
Tadej Valjavec
Control Team
+ 45
172
Antonio Santoro
Pro Team Venchi - Sugoi
+ 46
173
Sylwester Szmyd
Control Team
s.t.
174
Andreas Klier
Control Team
+ 51
Points classification
1
Edvald Boasson Hagen
Aker - MOT
25
2
Janez Brajkovic
Heineken presented by California Giant Berry Farms
20
3
Luis Leon Sanchez Gil
Project 1t4i
16
4
Aleksandr Pluchkin
Team B&O
14
5
Tiago Machado
Pearl Adidas
12
6
Ion Izagirre
Hollister Pro Cycling
10
7
Maxime Monfort
Lotto - Cervelo
9
8
Tanel Kangert
Pearl Adidas
8
9
Joost Posthuma
Project 1t4i
7
10
Andrei Grivko
Team B&O
6
Young riders
1
Ion Izagirre
Hollister Pro Cycling
12'16
2
Jan Ghyselinck
Wiggle Professional Cycling Team
+ 13
3
Lucas Schädlich
Team Bacardi
s.t.
4
Marcel Kittel
Vesuvio - Accumalux
s.t.
5
Jose Goncalves
Pearl Adidas
+ 14
6
Adrian Malori
Wiggle Professional Cycling Team
+ 15
7
Tim Dees
Festina-Canal+
s.t.
8
Jakub Danacik
Koenigsegg
s.t.
9
Reinhardt Janse van Rensburg
Wikipedia
+ 16
10
Pim Ligthart
Heineken presented by California Giant Berry Farms
s.t.
Teams
1
Project 1t4i
37'04
2
Pearl Adidas
+ 1
3
Team B&O
+ 4
4
Heineken presented by California Giant Berry Farms
