Levi Leipheimer (Team RadioShack) did the unexpected and scooped overall victory in the Tour de Suisse today, with overnight leader Damiano Cunego (Lampre-ISD) have a disappointing time trial and losing out by a slender four seconds.
Leipeheimer started strongly and covered the 32.1 kilometre course just 13 seconds slower than world time trial champion Fabian Cancellara (Leopard Trek), and four off the runner-up mark posted by his RadioShack team-mate Andreas Klöden.
Cunego was noticeably less smooth than the first three, fighting his bike all the way and finishing two minutes 16 seconds back in 39th place. He gave it everything inside the final kilometre but simply ran out of time before the line.
Leipheimer’s victory hands him a morale boost prior to the Tour de France. Cunego will also head to cycling’s biggest race with renewed motivation, even if he will be disappointed to miss out today.
“What a race. I really didn’t know how close it was with Cunego,” said the American afterwards. “All I heard was my director yelling at me in the last corner ‘Sprint! Sprint!’ and I could hear in his voice that it really was a question of seconds.
“This Tour de Suisse has really been tough this year. Very mountainous, very hard. You could see there was no field sprint at all this week. I had some good days, but also bad days, but without Team Radioshack there was no way I could win today. I am very happy I did not disappoint. Now it’s time to take some rest and start in the Tour de France.”
Rabobank’s Steven Kruijswijk joined he and Cunego on the podium, finishing one minute and two seconds back in the race against the clock and holding off Jakob Fuglsang (Leopard Trek) by eight seconds.
Garmin Cervélo rider Tom Danielson showed his own good form in placing fifth in the time trial today. He was 38 seconds off Cancellara’s time and ended up a fine ninth overall in the Swiss Tour. The American will hope that this will be enough to earn him a start in his first Tour de France, but must wait for Garmin-Cervélo chief Jonathan Vaughters’ decision.
One who has no selection concerns is Fabian Cancellara. He won the prologue one week ago; today’s success was number two of the week. “It was a nice race for me,” he said afterwards. “I was a bit nervous on the bus watching Andreas and Levi. When you race early, you don’t have any reference times. I had to trust that I knew what to do and that I would get out everything I had in my legs.
“It’s hitting the jackpot to win on the first day and the last day of a stage race,” he continued. “It is especially nice for me to make this happen in Switzerland. Looking back on what the team has done and what is coming, it is clear that I’m ready for the Tour.”
Chronology of a Chrono:
The first time of the day was set by Jack Bobridge (Garmin-Cervélo), who was last on the general classification and therefore first out of the starthouse. He covered the 32.1 kilometre course in a strong time of 42 minutes 28 seconds. Marcus Bughardt (BMC Racing Team) equalled his pace at the first intermediate time check, also doing it in 11 minutes 45 seconds, but this time was shattered soon afterwards when Fabian Cancellara (Leopard Trek) scorched through in 11 minutes 15 seconds.
The world time trial champion was one of the clear favourites for the day and continued on at that pace, drawing motivation from his racing on home soil. His effort saw him overtake world road race champion Thor Hushovd, who had started three minutes ahead of him, and was perhaps all the more sweet as the Garmin-Cervélo rider had marked him closely in Paris-Roubaix.
Cancellara set the new best time of 41 minutes 1 second at the finish, beating Bobridge’s mark by almost a full minute and a half. His team-mate Stuart O’Grady also did a strong ride and moved into provisional third, one minute 40 second back.
Soon after, Cancellara’s mark was neared by RadioShack’s Nelson Oliveira, who raced home just 24 seconds behind the Swiss rider. The Portuguese competitor’s team-mate Andreas Klöden then showed his own speed when he went five seconds faster than Cancellara at the first time check. He remained ahead at the second intermediate point, seven seconds better. Meanwhile Thomas de Gendt (Vacansoleil-DCM) raced in for provisional third at the finish, 38 seconds slower than Cancellara.
Klöden came in soon afterwards but faded towards the end, slipping behind Cancellara for the first time and reaching the line ten seconds slower. That put him second, ahead of Nelson in third.
Out on the course, American rider Tejay Van Garderen (HTC Highroad) was riding strongly and was just eight seconds back at the first time check. He looked like he was in the fight for the stage win but was forced to change a bike and dropped to two minutes down at the second intermediate time check. He’d eventually place 59th, rueing his misfortune.
The Schleck brothers were also losing time, although their problem was physical rather than mechanical. Andy finished up 46th, two minutes 32 behind, while defending champion Frank was sixtieth.
Tom Danielon fared far better, covering the course in a time 37.6 seconds off that of Cancellara. He would finish up the day fifth quickest, five places better than his Garmin-Cervélo team-mate Christian Vande Velde, and ended the Tour de Suisse ninth overall.
The top GC riders were all on course at that point, and it became clear that Leipheimer was travelling significantly quicker than Cunego. He continued to gain time and finished in 41 minutes 14 seconds; the yellow jersey fought onwards but ran out of time inside the final 200 metres, rolling in four seconds back.
Cunego fought hard during the eight day event but, in the end, his time trialing let him down. That’s disappointing for him but, like Leipheimer, he also seems in strong condition heading towards the Tour.
He rationalised his defeat, saying that he knew it would be tough to defend his lead. “This morning I watched the path of the chrono and immediately I realized that was not suitable to my characteristics with the long straight into the wind. We must give credit to the big performance today of Leipheimer, who has once again demonstrated its strength in this specialty.
“I'm sorry for not having obtained the best results for my friends who have supported me the most these days.” Still, second overall proves that Italian’s big stage race days are not behind him, as had previously been feared. If he can maintain or even build on his form, a strong Tour de France could lie ahead.