Astana’s Fredrik Kessiakoff took a big scalp today in the Tour de Suisse, winning the stage seven time trial by two seconds ahead of Fabian Cancellara.
The Swedish rider completed the 34.3 kilometre test in 46 minutes 38 seconds, pipping earlier starter Cancellara for the provisional best time. Others tried to go quicker than the two but were unable to do so, with Maxime Monfort (RadioShack Nissan), Jérémy Roy (FDJ-Big Mat) and an impressive Robert Gesink (Rabobank) having to be satisfied with third, fourth and fifth.
“Winning came as a surprise, but at the same time, not,” Kessiakoff stated. “I have struggled most of the spring with allergy problems, but lately I have started feeling more energized and been able to train harder again. The days leading up to the TT were tough, as it's almost impossible to simulate racing in training, so I was suffering from the changes of speed and intensity which come in a race.”
The time trial was different, though. “I was the one setting the speed, on a course which suited me, with an on-coming form. But it was still 45 minutes of suffering. Now I will take the next two days and work for my captains and at the same time keep working myself into form.”
Overnight leader Rui Costa (Movistar) pulled out a solid time trial to finish eighth, 41 seconds back, while his closest rival Frank Schleck (RadioShack Nissan) was 56 seconds slower, only placing 28th. This saw Schleck slip to fifth, while Roman Kreuziger’s sixteenth place in the time trial moved him up one place to second overall.
“To tell the truth, today couldn't be better,” said a happy Costa afterwards. “I spent the morning doing the recon with Alejandro [Valverde, who was 19th on the stage and is now fourth overall], firstly into the team car and then on the bike for the last part. There we saw it was a ITT that could do well for the two of us. It wasn't a flat TT at all, but rather a hilly one, full of changes of pace.
“I tried to keep a regular rhythm and give my maximum at the end. I knew, by the references I was being given, that I was riding within the best, but I didn't know how the other favourites were doing.”
It turned out that he was doing more than enough to stay in yellow, extending his lead over Kreuziger to fifty seconds. Gesink is now five seconds further back in third, with Valverde up to fourth. Schleck and Tom Danielson (Garmin Barracuda) complete the top six.
Costa faces just two more days before the end of the race. Having won a stage in last year’s Tour de France and then taken the Verbier stage on day two here, he is getting used to big results. But taking the overall in the Tour de Suisse would be a new level again, and it is something that he really wants to achieve.
“Now there are two really hard stages ahead, two selective ones, but I'm confident because I have such great teammates by my side. They're developing an extraordinary work here,” he said. “Let's hope that my body responds well this weekend. My rivals? Not only those two or three people might be thinking of. There are many who are still close to me, talented ones which we must keep respecting.
“For me, the most important thing is having someone like Alejandro here. Knowing that he's there makes me so calm. He could well be contesting the GC and committed himself to helping me. That offers you enormous confidence and I'm really grateful towards him."