Tour de Suisse 2008: Stages 4-9



Cancellara takes Stage 7 and not much changes in the GC race.



General classification after stage 7

1 Kim Kirchen (Lux) Team High Road 30.41.42
2 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas 0.27
3 Igor Anton Hernandez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 0.33
4 Stijn Devolder (Bel) Quick Step 0.46
5 Thomas Lövkvist (Swe) Team High Road 0.56
6 Andreas Klöden (Ger) Astana 0.58
7 Andy Schleck (Lux) Team CSC 1.04
8 Sergei Ivanov (Rus) Astana 1.06
9 Markus Fothen (Ger) Gerolsteiner
10 Oliver Zaugg (Swi) Gerolsteiner 1.13
11 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre 1.44
 
Uphill TT

Kreuziger's day to remember and Devolder's to forget.
For me, unexpected result from both of them... Although Kreuziger is in great shape, I doubted he can pull so strong uphill TT. And, on the other side, I've expected much better performance from Devolder... He's good TTist, he's in good shape... Maybe it has something to do with the Tour preparation.
 
Kreuziger takes over the race lead from Kirchen, who drops to seventh place after a poor TT (3'25" down from Kreuziger). Kloden moves up to second. Cunego into fourth.

Results courtesy of cyclingnews.

Results

1 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas 1.00.22
2 José Rujano Guillen (Ven) Caisse d'Epargne 0.16
3 Andreas Klöden (Ger) Astana 0.17
4 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre 0.54
5 Frank Schleck (Lux) Team CSC 1.26
6 Jens Voigt (Ger) Team CSC 1.35
7 Igor Anton Hernandez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 1.49
8 Thomas Lövkvist (Swe) Team High Road 2.08
9 Andy Schleck (Lux) Team CSC 2.20
10 Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) Rabobank 2.50

General classification after stage 8

1 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas 31.42.31
2 Andreas Klöden (Ger) Astana 0.49
3 Igor Anton Hernandez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 1.55
4 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre 2.11
5 Thomas Lövkvist (Swe) Team High Road 2.37
6 Andy Schleck (Lux) Team CSC 2.57
7 Kim Kirchen (Lux) Team High Road 2.58
8 Markus Fothen (Ger) Gerolsteiner 4.08
9 Christian Knees (Ger) Team Milram
10 Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) Rabobank 4.26
 
Not many seem at all interested in this race. Cancellara wins again in the final stage by reeling in the last minute breakaway attempt of Philippe Gilbert. Cancellara sews up the points competition.

The Czech, Roman Kreuziger, wins the GC and the young rider comp. New phenom here.


Final General classification

1 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas 35.43.46
2 Andreas Klöden (Ger) Astana 0.49
3 Igor Anton Hernandez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 1.55
4 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre 2.11
5 Thomas Lövkvist (Swe) Team High Road 2.37
6 Andy Schleck (Lux) Team CSC 2.57
7 Kim Kirchen (Lux) Team High Road 2.58
8 Markus Fothen (Ger) Gerolsteiner 4.08
9 Christian Knees (Ger) Team Milram 4.18
10 Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) Rabobank 4.26
 
Crankyfeet said:
Not many seem at all interested in this race.
well, the mountain TT yesterday was interesting, and the fact that McEwen seems to be getting back some form by winning 2 stages. also the 1st stage Cancellara won was interesting with the number of "classics" riders attacking near the end (Hoste, Cancellara, Gilbert, etc). But, after the TT yesterday it was unlikely that anything would really change on GC today, and my favourite sprinter didn't start the TT yesterday so wouldn't be there today anyway if it were to be a sprint finish ...
 
Roman Kreuziger just fly past mee and so rujano did too

Roman Kreuziger was rellay god but fade a bit in the end.. the climb was very hard

but i went over the other side of the mountain and that was a monster cilm specilay in the first 5 km must hav been over 12% in avreage of the 5 km
 
Crankyfeet said:
Not many seem at all interested in this race. Cancellara wins again in the final stage by reeling in the last minute breakaway attempt of Philippe Gilbert. Cancellara sews up the points competition.

The Czech, Roman Kreuziger, wins the GC and the young rider comp. New phenom here.


Kreuziger is the story here. Amazing development. Hombre over at dpf is already calling him out as a doper, which he might be, but that doesn't make his success any the less impressive.

Unlike Hombre, I like riders doing well early, since that's the way it used to be, not like recent times when things became more suspect.

It's a shame that Kirchen couldn't hold the lead, though. I admired the way he stepped up at last year's Tour, he seems a decent bloke, so I wish him well.

This race gets a bad rap and I'm not sure why. It used to be undoubtedly more important than CdDL, second only to the grand tours, but now seems to have slipped a bit. Is it too close to the Tour, and therefore people aren't fighting as hard for the win? You'd expect Cunego etc to do better otherwise. Is it just the US/Anglo-centric look at Armstrong having won it all those times? Is it the course?

I'm not sure. I think there were more TdF favourites in CdDL this year, so it got more attention. Speaking for myself, Cranky, I haven't had time to follow much in detail at the minute, hence my somewhat fleeting appearances here lately. I appreciate your efforts to fly the flag, though.
 
Amazing performance by Kreuziger in the TT. Does anyone have any info on his previous TT performances? All i can find is a world junior win and coming 2nd in a couple of hillyish prologues last year (paris-nice and the tour of romandie) - not sure how these relate to a mountain time trial. According to a report i was reading he didnt use aero bars as he thought they werent worth the extra weight. Dont know how many others were using them though although going by one photo Kirchen was.

As for other tts, last year he came 6th in the tour de romandie tt but was the third non-Astana rider after Dekker and Evans. This tt also had some decent climbing towards the finish.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/may07/romandie07/?id=results/romandie075


Maybe he was able to benefit from being a lesser favourite and save his energy for the TT?

Does anyone know if he is going to go for the Tour de France this year? I see that he didnt race the Giro
 
Crankyfeet said:
Not many seem at all interested in this race. Cancellara wins again in the final stage by reeling in the last minute breakaway attempt of Philippe Gilbert. Cancellara sews up the points competition.

The Czech, Roman Kreuziger, wins the GC and the young rider comp. New phenom here.


Final General classification

1 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas 35.43.46
2 Andreas Klöden (Ger) Astana 0.49
3 Igor Anton Hernandez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 1.55
4 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre 2.11
5 Thomas Lövkvist (Swe) Team High Road 2.37
6 Andy Schleck (Lux) Team CSC 2.57
7 Kim Kirchen (Lux) Team High Road 2.58
8 Markus Fothen (Ger) Gerolsteiner 4.08
9 Christian Knees (Ger) Team Milram 4.18
10 Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) Rabobank 4.26


I have followed it as best I could with the limited coverage and I was wrong about my predicted winner but he did get second and I did get it right about Cancellera winning a stage or so.
July 5th coming up soon!
 

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