Tour de Suisse: Tom Dumoulin claims opening yellow jersey with prologue win
Saturday 13 June 2015 21:19, UK
Tom Dumoulin denied Fabian Cancellara another win on home soil to claim the early lead of the Tour de Suisse.
Dumoulin (Giant-Alpecin) was one of the last starters in the opening 5.1km prologue in Risch-Rotkreuz and his time of five minutes 41 seconds proved two seconds quicker than Cancellara, who is a 10-time Tour de Suisse stage winner.
Cancellara's participation in his home tour had been in doubt until Friday, when he finally declared himself fit after a bacterial infection that had laid him low and needed anti-biotic treatment.
He showed few signs of trouble during his test against the clock, finishing two seconds ahead of Austria's Matthias Brandle (IAM Cycling) who had been in the leader's hot-seat for nearly two hours - Brandle complained about gear troubles that had possibly cost him a further five seconds.
Cancellara eventually ended his hopes of wearing the yellow jersey in Sunday's second stage, taking the lead for the Trek Factory Racing team, but that honour will instead go to Dutch time-trial champion Dumoulin, who was riding for the first time since Liege-Bastogne-Liege at the end of April.
"I am happy that Tony Martin was not at the start," joked Dumoulin, who finished second behind the multiple world time-trial champion in the prologue in Bellinzona last year and went on to take fifth overall to Rui Costa.
"During the prologue I didn’t feel great but apparently it went pretty fast and it was enough for the win. I went full gas uphill and used my aerodynamics in the downhill section."
Peter Sagan (Tinkoff-Saxo) finished fourth ahead of Steve Morabito (FDJ), while Team Sky leader Geraint Thomas made a positive start to the race back in 10th place, only seven seconds behind Dumoulin.
The race continues on Sunday with a 161km test, again starting and finishing in Risch-Rotkreuz, which includes two ascents of the first category climb of Michaelskreuz.
Prologue result:
1 Tom Dumoulin (Ned) Giant-Alpecin 5 minutes, 41 seconds
2 Fabian Cancellara (Sui) Trek Factory Racing +2secs
3 Matthias Brandle (Aut) IAM Cycling +4s
4 Peter Sagan (Svk) Tinkoff-Saxo +5s
5 Steve Morabito (Sui) FDJ.fr st
6 Greg van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing st
7 Cameron Meyer (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge +6s
8 Jon Izagirre (Esp) Movistar st
9 Adriano Malori (Ita) Movistar st
10 Geraint Thomas (Gbr) Team Sky +7s
