Cycling stars test form in Tour de Suisse

Phonak are aiming for overall victory, even though captain Tyler Hamilton is not racing Keystone

The Tour de Suisse - Switzerland’s premier cycling race and a closely watched warm-up for next month’s Tour de France – has begun its nine-day journey across the country.

The tour will be a crucial test of form for star riders such as Germany’s Jan Ullrich and defending champion Alexander Vinokourov from Kazakhstan.

As this year’s undisputed drawcards, both Ullrich and Vinokourov will be hoping to sharpen their fitness – and mental strength – ahead of their showdown in France with America’s Lance Armstrong.

And the Tour de Suisse, now in its 68th edition, offers a chance to do just that.

First blood went to Ullrich on Saturday, when he won the first stage ahead of Swiss riders Oskar Camendzind and Fabian Jeker.

The race started in the canton Lucerne and will wind up 1,450-kilometres later in Lugano.

In between lie three gruelling mountain stages, two more flat stages, at least two mountain finishes and a time trial on the final day.

The decisive stage could be next Thursday’s brutal 185-kilometre leg between Frutigen in the Bernese Alps and Linthal in canton Glarus.

Riders face two “haute-categorie” climbs (the toughest rating in road racing) over the Susten and Klausen passes, rising 2,800 metres.

Hamilton out

Gunning for glory will be several Swiss riders, most of whom are with Switzerland’s Phonak team.

They will be without their leader Tyler Hamilton who has chosen to race in France this week against Armstrong.

Swiss contenders include 2002 Tour de Suisse winner Alex Zülle, who is likely to be racing his final tour, and teammates Camenzind, Alexandre Moos and Niki Aebersold.

Fans will also be keeping a close eye on Jeker, a Spanish-based Swiss veteran racing for the Saunier-Duval team.

Strong performances in last month’s Tour de Romandie and the Italian Giro mean the 36-year-old has the form to challenge for overall honours.

However, he will be facing a determined Vinokourov, riding for Germany’s T-Mobile team, who will be eager to defend his title.

Vinokourov favourite

Vinokourov will have the support of team captain Ullrich, who was criticised during the spring for being over his optimal race weight and underprepared – something the German disputes.

Ullrich, who says the Tour de Suisse is his favourite race – he said recently that no race was better prepared – was expected before his Saturday win to focus mainly on the crucial stage to Linthal, as well as the 25.6-kilometre time trial around Lugano on June 20.

“I’ll be picking one or more stages in Switzerland to be competitive,“ Ullrich told the “Blick” newspaper recently.

T-Mobile, which can also call upon the services of the Columbian hero Santiago Botero, are expected to dominate the team classification.

Phonak, by contrast, are riding with the weight of national expectation.

A sub-standard performance would not only disappoint Swiss cycling fans, but would also be a bad omen for a team that has vowed to make a major impact on this year’s Tour de France, which starts in about three weeks.

swissinfo, Jacob Greber

In brief

The Tour de Suisse – June 12 to 20

Distance – 1,450km

Stages:

1) Sursee – Beromünster, 173km (flat)

2) Dürrenroth – Rheinfelden, 169km (flat)

3) Rheinfelden – Juraparc-Vallorbe, 185km (flat)

4) Vallée de Joux – Bätterkinden, 211km

5) Bätterkinden – Adelboden, 161km (mountain finish)

6) Frutigen – Linthal, 185km (mountain stage)

7) Linthal – Malbun, 133km (mountain finish)

8) Buchs – Bellinzona, 191km (mountain stage)

9) Lugano – Lugano, 25.6km (time trial)

Teams:

T-Mobile (Germany), Phonak (Switzerland), Lotto-Domo (Belgium), Alessio-Bianchi (Italy), Milaneza-Maia (Portugal), Credit-Agricole (France), Mrbookmaker.com (Belgium), Chocolade Jacques (Belgium), CSC team (Denmark), Quick-step (Italy), Domdomina Vacanze (Italy), Rabobank (Holland), Fassa Bortolo (Italy), Saeco (Italy), Gerolsteiner (Germany), Saunier Duval (Spain), Lampre (Italy), Vini Caldirola (Italy)