Hello and welcome to the first day of racing at this year Tour de Suisse. Our very own Matt Booth lead us out of Berne at today's start.
A flurry of attacks went and all of them would stick as Fabio Sacchi wins the first Intermediate sprint.
Over the four Categorized climbs Kroon(France TV), Scheirlinkx(Wikipedia) and Muravjev(Sony Ericson) would lead and Podgorny(Magenta), who scored many points on the first climb, would scoop up the remaining. Scheirlinkx will put on the KoM jersey in Bale.
After the final hill a group of eight would form at 70 Km's to go. De Maar, Sacchi, Merckx, Le Mevel, Podgorny, Kroon, Muravjev, and Scheirlinkx.
Perget, Fertonani, Meier, Kennaugh and Da Dalto all dangle in no mans land while the leading 8 have a 6 minute lead.
With obvious intent upon keeping the race together, Frank Schleck's Accumalux squad leads the chase for the entire stage. with some help from Festina and Erste.
52 Km's to go Podgorny is sitting on. Did Magenta tell him to sit or is he hurting... 5 minutes 20 to the pack
42 to go Podgorny is gone off the back of the break.
At 40 so is Le Mevel
Next is Merckx at 34 to go
The next casualty is Italian Champ Sacchi at 30 KM's to go
De Maar's legs give at 22 to go.
15 Km's to go the three leader are again Kroon, Scheirlinkx and Muravjev with a two minute gap to a hard charging pelaton.
10 K's to go and the threed leader's gap is holding steady at 2 minutes. Popped rider continue to struggle in No man's land. Can the pack pull their act together?
But for the Three Leaders the Cat and Mouse is starting, gone is the well oiled machine the three have been the length of the stage.
Maybe it's not over yet for our head banging trio. 4.5 Km's to go they have 55 seconds. and this is what the sprint looks like...
Baden Cooke of Erste is the head of the main sprint train. In his wheel is Forster(Magenta) and in no particular order, Gasparotto, Weylandt, Granjel Cabrera, Bozic, Eisel and Tyler Farrar. Cooke seems to have moved to the front too early; he drops back taking all of the races sprinters with him. Only the riders working to bring the leading break in seem to have a chance now.
1.5 Km's to go it looks like its all over for our trio... Kroon of France TV's doesn't think so though and grits his teeth for one more go and he has a gap! Wait! Whats that over his right hand shoulder???
The Wiki-Duo of Carrara(Leading) Florencio(following) are making a move on the right with the sprinter way back. Mapei's Ballan and Marinageli see the Wiki-move and jump.
Its too late though. Wiki-golden boy Matteo Carrara, ahead of teammate Florencio and Mapei's Allessandro Ballan, Marinageli holds on for 4th while Gasparroto is the best of the pre-race favorites in 5th.
