Russian wins six-man sprint while the race contenders take it easy on another rainy day
Vladimir Isaychev (Katusha) was the strongest rider in the day-long breakaway on stage five of the Tour de Suisse, between Trimbach-Olten and Gansingen, as the big names of the peloton decided to take the day off. The 25-year-old Russian outsprinted five other fugitives at the end of the 192.7km, to take his first ever professional victory, as heavy rain fell on the race once again. Ruben Perez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) finished in second place, pulling slightly alongside the celebrating Russian on the line, with Italian neo-pro Salvatore Puccio (Team Sky) in third.
“I'm so happy about this victory,” said Isaychev afterwards. “It's the first one of my professional career, and it came in such an important competition such as the Tour de Suisse. Moreover, the way it came was extraordinary…
“I felt in a great shape during the whole stage, and my motivations were high because I knew that, in a sprint against the riders which were in the breakaway with me, I was the favourite,” he explained. “And, in fact, I managed to win quite easily. Really, it was a great day for me; I've always imagined my first victory in pro races, but I would have never thought of such a great win.”
The three riders had been part of a seven-man break, which escaped after just 11km, along with Daniel Oss (Liquigas-Cannondale), Karsten Kroon (Saxo Bank), Klaas Lodewyck (BMC Racing) and Sébastien Minard (AG2R La Mondiale). The peloton completely shut down, as the heavy rain fell, and allowed the break’s lead to open up to beyond ten minutes and, as they entered the final phase of the stage, it became obvious that the winner would come from the leading seven.
Lodewyck was the first to make his move, launching an attack with 22km to go, but he was caught shortly afterwards on the climb of the Kaistenberg with around 17km to go. This was the end of the Belgian’s chances, as he was left behind on the 3rd category slopes and, despite several attacks in the closing kilometres, the six remaining riders were together as they arrived at the finish.
Isaychev hit the front first, with 250 metres to go, and the others could do nothing to stop him.
Despite the cat-and-mouse games played by the breakaway riders in the closing kilometres, the relaxed speed of the peloton saw the gap continue to grow. Lodewyck crossed the line in seventh place, 1’50” back, but it wasn’t until 11’07” later that Elia Viviani (Liquigas-Cannondale) won the bunch sprint for eighth.
Despite the breakaway riders gaining eleven minutes on race leader Rui Costa (Movistar), which lifted best placed rider Puccio into the top-30 overall, there were no changes to the overall classification, with the Portuguese rider holding onto the yellow jersey once more.
More hills, more rain, and the break goes very, very long
Stage five was not dissimilar in appearance to the two preceding stages, as the race headed further north to the Rhine, and Switzerland’s border with Germany. Peppered with 3rd category climbs, the course was tailor made for breakaways and, like the two previous stages, included a 40.9km finishing circuit - that included the climbs of the Bürersteig and Kaistenberg - which would be completed twice.
With the seventh stage time trial, and the mountains of stages eight and nine on the horizon, and with heavy rain falling on the race yet again, the big names of the peloton were resolved to have as easy a day as possible, and were to allow a breakaway to go completely unchallenged.
After some initial, unsuccessful, attempts to breakaway - one of which involved sprinters Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) and Elia Viviani (Liquigas-Cannondale) - Oss and Kroon escaped at the ten kilometre point. Puccio, Lodewyck, Perez and Minard quickly chased up to the two leaders, with Isaychev joining soon afterwards and, with nobody of any immediate threat to Costa’s lead, they were allowed to go.
Puccio was the best placed of the septet, but was 13’12” down, in 74th place. 50km into the stage, the break was up to over eight minutes; it fell slightly in the following kilometres but, as they crossed the 3rd category Staffelegg and Benkerjoch climbs, it began to grow again and, as they entered the final 80km of the stage, it ticked over the ten minute mark.
More by chance than by design, the Movistar team reduced the gap to less than nine and a half minutes in the following kilometres but, with 55km to go, it went back over ten minutes. The weather began to improve and, as the seven leaders climbed the Kaistenberg for the second time with 56.3km to go, the peloton was 10’10” as it rolled slowly over the top.
Once again, the steady tempo set by Movistar meant that it gradually dropped below the ten minute mark again, but with 40km to go the rain began to fall again. All seven riders were continuing to work together, but turns were now getting a little shorter as they began to think about the finale.
With the peloton out of it the breakaway games begin
With 22km to go, and with the lead at 9’12”, the attacks began as Lodewyck jumped away. The initial response was slow, as the other six continued with their pace line, but this meant that the Belgian was only able to get a few seconds clear on the long, straight road.
Across the intermediate sprint line in Frick, with 18.5km to go, Lodewyk was only a few seconds clear, but the co-operation was beginning to end in the chase group. As they hit the foot of the Kaistenberg shortly afterwards, Isaychev jumped away in pursuit.
The Russian caught and passed Lodewyck on the way up and, as he crossed the line first, took the lead in the mountains competition. The five others were right behind him however - with Lodewyck the only one to be left behind - and on the gentle descent that followed, Perez launched his own attack. Isaychev powered across the gap though, and the others followed close behind; the Basque tried again with 12km to go, but the others reeled him in gradually, and caught him again shortly after the ten kilometre banner.
Lodewyck was now somewhere behind the leading six, while the peloton, having closed to within eight and a half minutes, was now more than nine behind.
With Perez caught, the attacks began again, with Oss and Kroon both making half-hearted solo moves. With seven to go though, despite his path being momentarily blocked by a race moto, Kroon went again; Isaychev and Perez managed to fight across to him by the six kilometre banner, while Puccio and Minard forced Oss - arguably the fastest sprinter - to close the gap for them.
They were six riders once more as they passed under the five kilometre banner, and began to spread across the road as they watched one another for the next attack. It came from Minard, but it was expected, and the Frenchman didn’t get far.
Inside four to go though, the Frenchman drifted across the road and accelerated; Isaychev was the strongest once more however, and quickly pulled the rest across.
Despite the track-style cat-and-mouse racing, Lodewyck had still not caught up with his former companions, and the gap to the peloton was stretching to ten and a half minutes as they approached the final two kilometres.
Minard tried again, but Oss was right on him but, as the group slowed down he went again. This time the Frenchman had opened up a gap, but Perez pulled Oss across, which saw the other three left behind. Under the flamme rouge there were two groups of three, but Isaychev was doing his utmost to close it down again; Puccio finished the job, and they were back together with 500 metres left.
Isaychev launched himself with 250 metres to go and, as the others lined up behind him, nobody had the strength to come past him. Perez almost pulled alongside as the Russian freewheeled across the line, punching the air with his right fist as he went.
Lodewyck rolled slowly over the line 1’50” later and, as several riders tried to jump off the front of the peloton in the final kilometres, Viviani outsprinted Kris Boeckmans (Vacansoleil-DCM) after 11’07”. Despite getting another soaking, Costa passed an uneventful day in yellow, and carried his eight second lead over Fränk Schleck (RadioShack-Leopard) into the sixth stage.