All-out attack by Schleck brought back before final climb
Battling hard to come back from a big attack by closest rival Frank Schleck, Portuguese rider Rui Costa scooped the biggest win of his career today when he took the overall honours in the Tour de Suisse. The Movistar pro was helped by team-mate Alejandro Valverde when Schleck jumped clear on the second of the day’s hors categorie climbs, the Glaubenberg, got into a chase group and gradually came back to the RadioShack rider on the descent.
Although there were a number of other attacks between there and the line in Sörenberg, the general classification riders stayed largely together and Costa was able to breathe a little easier.
The stage victory went to Astana’s Tanel Kangert, who outsprinted Frenchman Jeremy Roy (FDJ BigMat) inside the final 200 metres of the 215.8 kilometre stages. They had gone clear forty kilometres after the start with Matteo Montaguti (Ag2r-La Mondiale), Brent Bookwalter (BMC Racing Team), Kris Boeckmans (Vacansoleil-DCM) and Tanel Kangert (Astana), opened a lead of over eleven and a half minutes, then fought hard to retain enough of that advantage to fight for the stage between them.
“I cannot believe it myself,” the Estonian Kangert beamed at the finish. “I still can’t understand how I won the sprint as normally I am one of the slowest when it comes to that! I had to do it, though – I have been a pro for a few years and I haven’t won anything.”
He finished two seconds clear of Roy, with Montaguti 31 seconds back. Robert Kiserlovski (Astana) and Steven Kruijswijk (Rabobank Cycling Team) headed a four man chase group one minute 46 behind, while a small group containing Costa and Schleck were a further two seconds down.
The net effect was that Costa and Schleck remained in that order in the general classification, separated by fourteen seconds. Last year’s overall winner Levi Leipheimer (Omaga Pharma Quick Step) was third, 21 seconds back, with Robert Gesink (Rabobank) losing out on a podium place by four seconds.
Costa won a stage in last year’s Tour de France, but the overall classification in as prestigious a WorldTour race as the Tour de Suisse is arguably a bigger achievement. He got a scare when Schleck went clear, yet was able to control things with the help of his team-mate and the collaboration of the other GC riders, who wanted to get Schleck back.
“I had a big team and a very strong Alejandro to back me – Valverde was incredible,” he smiled. “This means a lot to me, and for the team as well. I dedicate this victory to all my team-mates and the staff.”
More to follow soon….