It's the final day here in Switzerland and we finish off with a 39km Individual TT which is bound to test all of our riders. It looks like it'll be too tough for the more pure TT riders with the rising section between checkpoint 1 and 2.
In terms of the GC, Choi will have Taaramae fighting like crazy to right the wrongs of yesterday and claim the GC win. A lot of movement likely within the Top 15 riders. This is what it looks like right now:
GC Time
15th
Prado
+ 9'57
14th
Cattaneo
+ 7'41
13th
Sivakov
+ 7'14
12th
Vasyliv
+ 6'40
11th
Higuita
+ 5'19
10th
De la Cruz
+ 4'29
9th
Karnulin
+ 4'05
8th
Roglic
+ 3'57
7th
Haig
+ 3'32
6th
Cort Nielsen
+ 2'59
5th
Masnada
+ 2'46
4th
Godoy
+ 1'26
3rd
Taaramae
+ 1'04
2nd
Carthy
+ 20"
1st
Choi
Durbridge is the 4th starter but the first finisher with a time of 1'06'52 which could be hard to beat.
Van Hooydonck is the first to come anywhere close to the Australian. He is currently 2nd fastest at + 1'25.
His team mate, Vanhoucke, is on one today as he smashes the leading time by 3'11. Clearly the Climbers who can TT should really benefit here.
A number of not too pure TT riders starting to flood the Top 5 and 10 but it's Koep who wants some of the early glory. He beats his team mate's time by 30 seconds with a time of 1'03'10.
Sendeku is 1 second behind at the 2nd and 3rd checks and he ends on the same time as Koep but he is put in 2nd! Inseparable after 39km.
Fraile is only good enough for 4th as it stands, + 27".
Sequera was level at the 2nd and fastest at the 3rd checkpoint. He is the fastest at the finish too as he is 32 seconds quicker than Koep.
Kirsch is fastest at checkpoint 3 but is + 12" at the finish for provisional 2nd.
All riders through Checkpoint 1. Here are the times of the Top 15. It's looking pretty good for Taaramae while Choi will have work to do if he wants to hold onto 2nd.
GC Time
Check 1
15th
Prado
+ 9'57
+ 21"
14th
Cattaneo
+ 7'41
+ 1"
13th
Sivakov
+ 7'14
+ 16"
12th
Vasyliv
+ 6'40
+ 30"
11th
Higuita
+ 5'19
+ 1'23
10th
De la Cruz
+ 4'29
+ 36"
9th
Karnulin
+ 4'05
+ 41"
8th
Roglic
+ 3'57
+ 41"
7th
Haig
+ 3'32
+ 2"
6th
Cort Nielsen
+ 2'59
+ 42"
5th
Masnada
+ 2'46
+ 26"
4th
Godoy
+ 1'26
+ 53"
3rd
Taaramae
+ 1'04
+ 0"
2nd
Carthy
+ 20"
+ 1'15
1st
Choi
-
+ 31"
Kennaugh is a good all-rounder and he is provisional 3rd + 29".
Prado is provisional 2nd at the finish line. He is 8 seconds off the time of Sequera.
Cattaneo however then flies through with a rapid time of 1'00'52!!
Sivakov puts in a strong time for 2nd at + 1'10.
Vasyliv is + 2'17. He'll drop a bit today.
Higuita isn't a TT rider and it shows as he is + 5'21 which will see him fall down the GC.
De la Cruz is + 3'04 to Cattaneo. He would have been hoping for a bit better than that.
All riders through the 2nd checkpoint. Haig will be making some big moves as he has the fastest time so far. Taaramae is level with him again and is looking pretty set for a GC win.
GC Time
Check 2
15th
Prado
+ 9'57
+ 1'58
14th
Cattaneo
+ 7'41
+ 21"
13th
Sivakov
+ 7'14
+1'22
12th
Vasyliv
+ 6'40
+ 2'14
11th
Higuita
+ 5'19
+ 4'32
10th
De la Cruz
+ 4'29
+ 2'54
9th
Karnulin
+ 4'05
+ 2'18
8th
Roglic
+ 3'57
+ 2'19
7th
Haig
+ 3'32
-
6th
Cort Nielsen
+ 2'59
+ 2'53
5th
Masnada
+ 2'46
+ 2'02
4th
Godoy
+ 1'26
+ 1'50
3rd
Taaramae
+ 1'04
+ 0"
2nd
Carthy
+ 20"
+ 2'59
1st
Choi
-
+ 1'47
Karnulin is + 2'28 which is a so so ride from the Ukrainian.
Roglic is + 2'56 which may actually keep him cemented within the lower Top 10.
Haig actually finished before Roglic. He sets the new best time of 1'00'28 which is 23 seconds better than that of Cattaneo.
And that's everyone through the 3rd and final checkpoint of the day. The two at the top are still neck and neck for stage honours. Haig eyeing up a spot on the podium while Evonik will be ready with the champagne!
GC Time
Check 3
15th
Prado
+ 9'57
+2'01
14th
Cattaneo
+ 7'41
+ 23"
13th
Sivakov
+ 7'14
+ 1'23
12th
Vasyliv
+ 6'40
+ 2'20
11th
Higuita
+ 5'19
+ 4'50
10th
De la Cruz
+ 4'29
+ 3'01
9th
Karnulin
+ 4'05
+ 2'25
8th
Roglic
+ 3'57
+ 2'26
7th
Haig
+ 3'32
-
6th
Cort Nielsen
+ 2'59
+ 3'04
5th
Masnada
+ 2'46
+ 2'06
4th
Godoy
+ 1'26
+ 2'00
3rd
Taaramae
+ 1'04
+ 0"
2nd
Carthy
+ 20"
+ 3'16
1st
Choi
-
+ 1'54
Cort Nielsen ends up + 3'34 which should be fine for him in terms of not dropping back too far.
Masnada is + 2'24 which will be enough for the Italian to secure a great GC place.
Godoy isn't the best TT rider so he will be fairly happy with + 2'34 which keeps him in the Top 5.
Taaramae has been level with Haig at every check point but in 2nd so how will he finish? We'll have to wait until the podiums to find out…!
Carthy puts in a pretty poor time at + 4'04. He definitely loses the podium spot but he may even drop out of the Top 5.
The final finisher is Choi who goes + 2'16 which will unfortunately see him lose the GC win but he will still be 2nd.
AND THEY'VE GIVEN IT TO TAARAMAE. Nothing to split him and the Australian which will be disappointing for Haig. Cattaneo ends up 3rd on the day. The Top 10 then filled with Top 15 GC riders.
As predicted, Taaramae makes back the lost time from yesterday and takes the Overall Win here at the Tour de Suisse. Choi is somewhat rewarded for his efforts yesterday with 2nd.
Despite a pretty poor race in the Mountains, Haig takes the final spot on the podium after a great effort today. Godoy ends up staying 4th while Carthy does keep his spot in the Top 5. The biggest name missing out on a good result is Cattaneo who ended up 11th.
It was very close in the end but sprinting for the minor points proved to be the difference for Houle who wins the Points Classification by a single point over Taaramae. Van Niekerk is 3rd after his stage wins.
Cort Nielsen with a race to remember with 7th in the GC and a stage win. This is topped off by a dominating KOM win. Smith just takes 2nd ahead of Zakarin.
In the U25s, it ended up being fairly comfortable for Sivakov while no one else was close to Higuita in 2nd.
The final stage efforts from their GC leader in particular also mean Evonik come away with a win in the Teams Classification. MOL only 8 seconds behind!
Tour de Suisse - Stage 9 Report 
