Peter Sagan (Tinkoff) continued his love affair with the Tour de Suisse when he rode to an impressive sprint win on the second stage of the race. Having latched onto the Orica-GreenEDGE train, he anticipated Michael Matthews and held off Maximilano Richeze (Etixx-QuickStep) and the Australian to take the 12th win in the race. A split in the finale caught out race leader Fabian Cancellara (Trek) and so Jurgen Roelandts (Lotto Soudal) now has a 1-second advantage over the Swiss in the overall standings.

 

We have gathered several reactions.

 

Peter Sagan: I am proud of this record

While the weather forecast didn’t deliver on its promises – with a second day of rain despite a forecast of sunny conditions – Peter Sagan, did what he can be relied on to do at every race. The UCI World Champion injected pace, power and excitement into the second day of the Tour de Suisse, taking the win in a textbook sprint effort in Baar. With his twelfth stage win at the Tour, Sagan dominates the race’s record books with the most stage wins at the event.

 

There only being a few opportunities for sprinters in this harder edition of the Tour de Suisse, Sagan had an idea of how the race was going to develop.

 

“From the start of the race we had an idea how it would go – all the races are pretty similar – we have a breakaway and the GC leader’s team has to pull – everyone knew we’d be going for a sprint because the hardest climb was far from the finish. For the sprinters we only have a few chances to take the stages here, so while we knew we wanted to sprint, it was a little hard mentally because it was raining all day.”

 

Sport Director, Patxi Vila, saw that everything came together perfectly as the stage neared its end.

 

“The guys worked well in the last kilometres – Trek worked hard to protect the leader’s jersey so it was good to have them controlling the race, meaning we didn’t have to work too hard during the day. The weather wasn’t great but the whole team was focused on helping Peter, and they did a great job delivering him to the sprint.”

 

As the finish line approached, Sagan chose his moment perfectly, tucked in a few riders back, he swung off the wheel of the man in front and charged towards the line. There was never any doubt as to who was going to take the stage as the UCI World Champion outclassed the other sprinters, crossing the line with his arms outstretched to celebrate the win.

 

From the finish, Sagan was understandably pleased with the outcome, but gave some insight into the amount of effort it took to get to the line first.

 

“It was dangerous because we had some crashes throughout the day. In the last 20km it was important for us to be at the front, then there was another breakaway for the last intermediate sprint, but everyone knew we’d be going for the final sprint. Everyone wanted to be at the front. I took a good wheel and my teammates got me in a good position, and I did my sprint.”

Taking the win today was a great start for the team, explained Vila.

 

“It was a good day. We knew it was one of the best chances we had, so we tried to focus just on today, taking each stage day by day based on how things are going, and push hard and get the results. We’re relaxed and came here to try and win stages – our main goal was to win just the one, so getting it on the second day was great. We don’t have the strongest team for the lead-outs, so made use of the other teams who had good lead-out trains, which was done perfectly. It was an amazing sprint by Peter, which is great for morale – it’s a continuation of a good year for Peter and the team.”

 

With a hard race ahead and some stages that don’t necessarily suit the sprinters and all-rounders, Sagan was going to ride as well as he could in the race.

 

“If I’m not riding to win, I’m not riding. It’s what I do and it has to be fun. There was a lot of stress in the group that I didn’t like, and it can be a bit boring riding so far to contest just a few final kilometres. Even though it’s a tough year this year, I’m hoping to see it through to the end – although maybe in the grupetto on the harder stages! It’s better to race than to be at home training! After this race, there are the national championships and then the Tour de France.”

 

The UCI World Champion’s win today makes him the record holder for the most stage wins at the race.

 

“As the only rider to have twelve victories, it’s nice! It wasn’t my objective when I first started racing here to set out to do that, but year by year I’ve taken victories, so it’s a good feeling.”

 

Stage 3 is another tough day, but another that could end in a sprint. The 192,6km sees riders take in six categorised climbs – the first of which is a hard second category ascent of the Hauenstein, cresting at 105km, which marks the start of the toughest part of the day’s riding. While the first half of the stage is undulating, the second half sees four categorised climbs clustered together on a final circuit before the finish in Rheinfelden. A sprint finish may await riders – if they can clear the day’s climbs still able to contest the finish.

 

Of the stage tomorrow, Vila was confident – especially after today’s strong showing.

 

“There are four climbs before the finish but we’ll see how it goes. The way Peter is climbing at the moment he may be able to hold the pace on the final climbs, so we think he’ll be able to go for the win – and with the high morale off today’s win, I’m sure the team will help before the finish.”

 

Maximilano Richeze takes over from unfortunate Gaviria in Switzerland

It should have been a quiet stage, but rain made its presence felt for the second day in a row and things didn't go as smooth as planned for Etixx – Quick-Step's Fernando Gaviria. The 21-year-old Colombian crashed and left some skin on the road, suffering abrasions on his left thigh and being forced to change his bike before returning to the front with the help of countryman Rodrigo Contreras.

 

Eventually, Gaviria – who is racing his second World Tour stage race of the year – paid for all this in the final kilometers and couldn't contest the sprint anymore, so Maximiliano Richeze stepped in and took over the duties, making his way through the peloton before finishing second, behind world champion Peter Sagan:

 

"Fernando told me to try and go for myself in the sprint, as he wasn't at 100% following that crash", said Richeze, a former Grand Tour stage winner, who scored his maiden World Tour podium of the season. "I put in a good sprint, but it wasn't easy against Sagan. Still, considering everything, I am happy with my result and with the fact Fernando hasn't suffered any injuries and will continue."

 

Michael Matthews fails to finish off great lead-out in Switzerland

World championship silver medallist Micheal Matthews sprinted to third place today on stage two of the Tour de Suisse, after an impressive lead-out from ORICA-GreenEDGE train.

 

The Australian outfit delivered Matthews into the final metres, but as Peter Sagan (Tinkoff) opened up the sprint first, Matthews lost momentum and had to settle for third spot with Sagan snatching the stage honours.

 

Sport director Neil Stephens praised the team efforts today, riding tactically well as one unit throughout the entire stage.

 

"The boys had a cool head today," said Stephens after the finish. "They all knew exactly what to do and when to do it."

 

"We had a little hiccup when Durbridge was caught up in a crash, and that meant we had one less lead-out guy.

 

"It was fantastic lead out, really well timed we took the lead of the race coming into the final kilometres when the road narrowed slightly and the boys showed full commitment today and did a great job in the whole lead out.

 

"Anyone who saw the lead-out could see how the race was actually splitting up behind and in fact our last lead out man, Magnus Cort even ran a place himself.

 

"Of course the main objective was to give Michael the best chance to win the stage, we certainly gave him that but we were beaten by a better man, the World champion Sagan today."

 

Along with the fantastic teamwork today, Luke Durbridge had a notable performance, chasing back on to the peloton after being caught out in a crash within the final 25kilometres. His efforts to regain contact means he remains in third place on the general classification going into tomorrow's stage three. 

 

Jurgen Roelandts: I am proud to take Cancellara’s jersey in his home race

Jürgen Roelandts has taken over the leader’s jersey from Fabian Cancellara. Yesterday, the Lotto Soudal rider lost the opening time trial to Spartacus by less than one second. Today, Cancellara gained an extra second on Roelandts in the intermediate sprint a few kilometres from the finish. In the final sprint, won by world champion Peter Sagan, Roelandts got fifth. There was a time gap of three seconds and that made that him takes the lead with one second on Cancellara.

 

Jürgen Roelandts said: 

 

“I am happy that I can wear the leader’s jersey of the Tour de Suisse. I already tried to conquer it in the intermediate sprint. It was close, but Cancellara was a tad faster than me and gained an extra second advantage. Luckily, there was a gap in the sprint, so I do take over his jersey in his home country, that’s quite special.

 

“It was a tough finale today. At first we didn’t take any initiative, Trek controlled the gap. In the last lap it started to rain and we moved up to the front. There were several crashes, but luckily none of us had any bad luck.

 

”At the end the peloton split, but I wasn’t aware of it. I wanted to be in front for the sprint, but didn’t think about winning because I was too tired. Because of a split in the peloton my fifth place still made me take over the jersey.

 

”I want to thank my teammates for the support they gave me today, like Jelle Vanendert who pulled for a long time at the head of the bunch or Tiesj Benoot who took me to the front. We won’t let someone else take over the jersey easily, but as of Wednesday it gets really tough.

 

“This is the second time in my career that I wear a leader’s jersey in a stage race, last time it was at the Tour de Pologne 2009 after I had won the third stage. I would want to swap the jersey for a stage win, but of course I am enjoying it.

 

 "I heard five minutes after the finish that I took the yellow jersey. I am very proud, because the last time I was leading a World Tour race was in 2009 at the Tour of Poland. We will defend the jersey, of course. And then, in the mountains, maybe we will ride for the first twenty kilometers and then other teams will take over.”

 

Disappointed Fabian Cancellara: I did not expect it to end like this

Impeccable teamwork for over 150 kilometers vanished in an instant in the final meters of stage two Sunday. 

 

Trek-Segafredo controlled the front of the peloton all race, gradually drawing a four-man breakaway back to the fold before Jasper Stuyven provided a perfect lead out to Cancellara, who snagged a valuable second over second-placed Jurgen Roelandts (Lotto Soudal) in the intermediate sprint.

 

But the cohesive effort all washed away when a rider close to the front in the sprint finale let a wheel go; a surreptitious gap opened behind the front six riders – with Roelandts ahead of the split – and with it the yellow jersey slipped away from Fabian Cancellara's shoulders.

 

"I was pretty tired today, like everyone, it was a real hard stage, maybe harder than anyone expected," said a disappointed Cancellara. "I did not have the legs for the final sprint. Jasper (Stuyven) did a fantastic job at the end, everything was perfect, just this small gap that ended our yellow."

 

Jasper Stuyven was ahead of the split and finished in 6th place, but it was no consolation for the disappointment and frustration of ceding yellow in such a frivolous manner.

 

"Perfect race until the last 600 meters," continued Cancellara. "It's a big disappointment because losing a jersey like this is not fun. Sure you win and lose, sometimes it's good for yourself, sometimes good for others, but losing the jersey this way after a whole day where the team was really working hard…

 

"The team did a fantastic job, all seven working hard for yellow is always nice to see, and then to not bring it back is quite a disappointment. I knew that it was going to be a big lottery today, but I did not expect it to end like this with a silly little gap opening in the sprint. C'est la vie."

 

Fabian Cancellara still maintains the honor of Best Swiss Rider and also leads the points competition. Tomorrow the race continues with another lumpy stage that will likely end with a reduced bunch.

 

Strong Danny Van Poppel in the mix in Switzerland

Danny van Poppel sprinted to seventh place while Geraint Thomas maintained his general classification foothold on day two at the Tour de Suisse.

 

Van Poppel was unfortunate, with a rider losing the wheel in the line ahead causing a gap to open up to the first six riders out front. That meant the Dutchman was forced to look on as Peter Sagan (Tinkoff) secured the victory in Baar.

 

Geraint Thomas was protected by his teammates and crossed the line in 13th, keeping him in touch in 17th overall, 16 seconds back ahead of more selective stages to come.

 

Team Sky stuck together on wet roads as the peloton ticked off four laps of a 48km circuit around Baar. Ian Boswell and David Lopez led the line and, when the day's breakaway quartet were caught with 34km to go, the team hit the front with Vasil Kiryienka pushing the pace.

 

Reinardt van Rensburg shows great form at the Tour de Suisse

Reinardt Janse van Rensburg was Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka’s best placed finisher, coming home in 8th place.

 

 

Behind the first six riders Janse van Rensburg tried to close the gap and was only denied a better place right on the line.

 

He said:

 

”The weather conditions made it pretty tough, but I felt good all day. The form is good. Unfortunately, in the sprint I was too far back going into the last km and then in the final bend a gap appeared after position 6. I tried to close the gap, but there was no chance, so I had to settle for 8th. I look forward to more opportunities in the next two days.”

 

Sports director Jens Zemke added:

 

“We were riding for Reinardt today, who is in a good form. He showed that in the finale. Maybe there would’ve been more possible, but a few riders managed to get a gap. Tomorrow’s another day and we’ll have another chance.”

 

Sven Erik Bystrøm takes suprise top 10 result in Swiss bunch sprint

After yesterday’s opening prologue stage, it was time to hit the road in the 80th Tour de Suisse on Sunday. At 187,6 km the soggy road stage featured local circuits around Baar before a group sprint finished off the day. In the heart of the action was Team KATUSHA’s Sven Erik Bystrøm, who took ninth at 3-seconds behind stage winner and world champion, Peter Sagan.

 

”The original plan we had for today was for Sergei Chernetckii to try in the sprint, but then we had to change it a little bit near the end, and we were trying with Jhonatan Restrepo. None of us are pure sprinters, so I was just trying to stay in the front to give them help if I could, but in the end, it was only me in the front. So, I figured I would try for a nice result. It’s a good result for me to be in the top 10 – that’s always better than being in the top 50! I felt very good today. I just tried to stay focused and stay in position,” said Sven Erik Bystrøm.

 

”We know we don’t have a real sprinter here, so the boys are free to go for their own results. We told them on the radio they should try something, and I’m happy with the motivation of the young guys. A top ten result in a bunch sprint in such an important race is impressive. Everybody is still fresh on the second day, there was a tricky final and with rain most of the day, we also had wet roads. They can go to bed with a good feeling for today’s effort,” said team director Torsten Schmidt.

 

Gesink crashes out in Switzerland: I don’t remember anything

During the second stage of the Tour of Switzerland today, Robert Gesink crashed and had to abandon. Gesink fell hard in the stage won by world champion Peter Sagan. LottoNL-Jumbo rider Tom van Asbroeck finished 10th.

 

Gesink fell halfway through the stage and it was soon clear that he would not get back on his bike.

 

"We saw that it was not a crash where you put a rider on the bike and let him ride again," said Sports Director Jan Boven. “We put him in the team car and took him to the bus where he was treated by the doctor, then I went back in the race.”

 

Gesink has several abrasions and at this moment he is in a hospital for further examinations. 

 

"I can’t remember anything of the crash," Gesink said. "I fell on my head and broke my helmet. I can remember that I started this morning, but after that, I lost it all.

 

I also still do not know what will happen in view of the Tour. It remains to be seen how I recover.”

 

Bert-Jan Lindeman saw the crash because he was close when it happened.

 

"There was a hole in the road and he hit it, his hands flew off the handle bar and he fell on his face. It's too bad because we sat all day in front as a group, and this is really sour. Plus we worked hard beforehand at an altitude camp the past few weeks so this is very disappointing."

 

In the hectic sprint, the team worked for Van Asbroeck.

 

"We know that Paul Martens and Van Asbroeck are fast, and we gave instruction in the morning in the bus to go for Van Asbroeck," Boven added. "It is too bad there was a break in the peloton and he couldn’t sprint for the win."

 

Wilco Kelderman finished in the wheel of team-mate Paul Martens in 22nd.

 

"Wilco was super supported today and he did not work too much. With the loss of Robert Gesink, we will lead with Wilco Kelderman.”

 

On the third day of the Tour of Switzerland tomorrow, the riders face a similar stage as today's.

 

"It will be about the same as today, but with no closing circuits. Again, the final will be hectic and I expect a sprint again. In the morning we decide what to do as a team."

 

Andrew Talansky saves the day after big scare in Switzerlamd.

It is never ideal when the team leader is caught up in the pile-up. And needs a new bike. Just as the action is heating up with around 30km left to race.

 

Cannondale rode brilliantly on Tour de Suisse stage two to keep Andrew Talansky in contention for the overall classification. Talansky had several teammates with him - Toms Skujins, Kristijan Koren and Davide Villella - to pace him through the caravan and back up to the peloton with 8km remaining after he had crashed in the finale.

 

Stage ended in a bunch sprint. Matti Breschel was the top finisher in 11th place. Talansky finished with the bunch thanks to the hard work done by his teammates.

 

”I cannot say a big enough thank you to my teammates for getting me back to the peloton after I was caught up in a crash today,” he tweeted.

 

Rui Costa feels good on first road stage in Switzerland

LAMPRE-MERIDA led Davide Cimolai to the front part of the bunch and the Italian rider was great in defending his position until the last kilometer. He was in 10th when the group split and was forced to try a comeback which was not possible because of the high speed and the short distance to the finish.

LAMPRE-MERIDA's sprinter was 14th.
 

Bono crashed during the stage but he did not suffer consequences.

 

Rui Costa finished safely.

 

”The stage was a bit bumpy, unlike what I had expected,” he wrote in his diary. “The weather made it hard as it rained almost all day. When there is rain, it is slippery and dangerous. The day was marked by some crashes where some colleagues hit the deck. I wish them a good recovery.

“The team's strategy was to stay together as much as possible in order to protect each other from the imminent danger. 
 

”On the last lap there were some attacks, but that came to nothing. It was a tough day but ended in a sprint. I had a good feeling and I hope to get better every day, that's the goal here in this Tour of Switzerland.”

 

Warren Barguil finds the racing rhtythm in Switzerland

With the peloton being nervous and fighting for positions a big crash occurred that took out many riders. For Giant-Alpecin, Laurens ten Dam was involved in the crash but he was able to get back on his bike and rejoin the peloton.

 

The team’s GC men finished safely in the bunch, Warren Barguil was the first to finish for the team in 17th place. In the general classification, Simon Geschke remains the best-ranked rider in 18th place.

 

Warren Barguil said: “It was my first proper race since Liège. It was a hard race but it’s good to get back into that racing rhythm. The team did a great job in protecting me all day and I was able to finish in the main bunch.”

 

Coach Morten Bennekou added: “Our goals for today was first to protect Warren and give him an easy day coming back from a long training period and with no races since Liegè. Next to that look for a breakaway possibilities with Sam [Oomen] and Simon in the last hour of racing.

 

“As expected the race was very controlled so it was not possible to go for a break in the finale where the parcours was also a little easier than we expected. So in the end, a big peloton came to the finish line and Simon decided then not to sprint and make sure Warren crossed the finish line in the main bunch.”

 

Matthias Krizek makes it a great day for Roth at the Tour de Suisse

On the second stage of the Tour de Suisse Matthias Krizek achieved a great success for the Swiss Team Roth. He conquered the blue leader’s jersey of the mountains classification.

 

Each of the four laps around Baar included a category two climb towards Allenwinden. Therefore, no less than 2124 meters of altitude had to be completed. Matthias Krizek dominated the final sprint of a breakaway group of four riders and beat Antwan Tolhoek. This is the first time in the history of the young Team Roth that one of its riders wins a leader’s jersey in the World Tour.

 

Juan Jose Lobato still not in condition to sprint in Switzerland

What seemingly was a day to take things easier in the Tour de Suisse - the roads before the Cat-2 sign on top of the Allenwinden climb, overcome four times on the 189km loop around Baar, being gentler than expected - became really demanding as a result of the intense rain in places of the day's route. Having Juanjo Lobato still getting into race form after a long, successful first part of his season, the Movistar Team focused on protecting its two main GC references, brothers Ion and Gorka Izagirre, to reach the finish safe and sound.

 

The work by Alex Dowsett, Jorge Arcas, Winner Anacona and Jasha Sütterlin was efficient enough to make sure that both Basque riders crossed the line in the main field, 3" behind a short front split formed in the bunch sprint won by Peter Sagan (TNK). Belgian Jürgen Roelandts (LTS) profited from the cut to take the yellow jersey off Cancellara's (TFS) hands, with Ion now sixth at 10" and Gorka in 10th, at 14". Sunday marked the first of three predictable, consecutive sprint finishes, though Monday's final loop around Rheinfelden (192.6km) could see the GC contenders respond over the slopes of Sonnenberg and Schönberg (both Cat-3).

 

No luck for Kevin Reza in Tour de Suisse bunch sprint

As announced Saturday by FDJ sports director Franck Pineau, the first stage of the Tour of Switzerland was concluded in a mass sprint and allowed the world champion Peter Sagan to raise his arms. A split did not allow Kévin Reza (20th) to defend his chances, but overall it was a good day for the French team.

 

"It is a day with nothing to report,” said Franck Pineau. “There was a split, fatal for Cancellara (Trek-Segafredo) who lost his leader's jersey, which did not allow Kevin (Reza ) to actually defend his chances but earlier he had been well supported by his teammates.”

 

All riders from the team finished in the peloton.

 

"It was not very eventful, said Pineau. “But the riders of the team are going well. Tomorrow's stage is a bit harder but should again finish with a sprint. From Wednesday, we have the mountain where our climbers are Christian Eiking and Kenny Elissonde.”

 

Astana keep Scarponi and Lopez safe on wet day in Switzerland

"The team has proven to be very focused and remained together throughout the race and always close to Miguel Angel Lopez Moreno and Michele Scarponi,” said Astana sport director Goradz Stangelj.

 

"It was not an easy day. The road was wet at times and this also explains the many falls. To avoid them we chose to stay  in the first positions of the group and this has allowed us to not take too many risks.”

 

"Tomorrow I'm expecting, like today, a nervous race that could end with a narrow sprint for a little bunch".

 

Marcel Wyss earns most active rider award in Switzerland

“A prize is always a pleasure,” Marcel Wyss said once he stepped down from the ceremonial podium after receiving the prize for the most active rider of the day.

 

“We broke away after eight kilometers, I and three other riders.  Unfortunately, I did not succeed in my attempt to take the top points for the best climber’s jersey.  We were always kept under control by the peloton.  The gap was never enough to give us the freedom to dream about making it to the finish.  But that’s the law of our sport, and I am not disappointed.”

 

Marcel Wyss collected 200 euros by winning one of the two intermediate sprints during the course of this first stage.

 

Rik Verbrugghe, the manager and directeur sportif for IAM Cycling, said:

 

“Nerves and the terrible weather conditions made the race very difficult.  Mathias Frank was protected from wasting too much energy, and in the end, the team was rewarded by Marcel Wyss being awarded the prize for the most combative on the stage.”