Fabian Cancellara stormed to victory in the nine-day Tour of Switzerland on Sunday after an impressive performance in the final 39km individual time trial in his home town of Berne.
It was a first triumph in a major stage-race for Cancellara, more noted as a one-day and time trial specialist.
The Swiss started the day four seconds behind Tadej Valjavec of Slovenia, but raced away to victory in just under 46 minutes, with Germany’s Tony Martin second, 1 minute, 27 seconds behind.
In the overall standings that meant Cancellara had 2 minutes, 2 seconds to spare over Martin. Valjavec slipped to seventh, 3 minutes, 45 seconds behind.
“I had to really go deep and hurt myself on the uphill finishes in the last few days because I’m not a climber,” Cancellara said. “Thanks to some vital help from my teammates, I managed to limit my losses and set up my shot at overall victory. It was great to win in the final time trial like that and great to seal victory at home in front of my family and thousands of people who support me.”
Cancellara’s next objective is the opening time trial stage at the Tour de France which he has won twice previously.
“I’d love to try and win the Tour de France one day, but I’m not ready yet and this year’s race is very hilly,” he said.
■NEVADA CITY CLASSIC
AFP, NEVADA CITY, CALIFORNIA
US cyclist Lance Armstrong won the Nevada City Classic on Sunday, a modest one-day race set in the hills of northern California, to continue his build-up to the Tour de France.
More than 15,000 fans turned out for the race, run on a 1.7km loop in the historic gold mining town of Nevada City, and they were treated to the sight of seven-time Tour de France champion Armstrong claiming his first race victory since coming out of retirement in January after an absence of three and a half years.
Armstrong, Astana teammate Levi Leipheimer and Bissell’s Ben Jacques-Maynes formed a three-man breakway that took a lead of more than two minutes and finally lapped the field.
With six laps to go on the tough, seven-turn course Armstrong was on his own and the American, wearing the jersey of his Livestrong foundation rather than Astana colors, crossed the line with his hands raised in triumph. Jacques-Maynes finished second and Leipheimer third.
Armstrong only committed to the Nevada City Classic five days prior to the race. He launched his comeback in the Tour Down Under in Australia in January, finishing 29th.
He broke his collarbone in a spill in the Tour of Castilla and Leon in central Spain in March, returned to the States for surgery and then went back to Europe and finished 12th in the Giro d’Italia last month.
On June 5, he welcomed the birth of his fourth child, son Max.
“What a great Nevada City Classic,” Armstrong enthused on the social networking site Twitter. “I managed to get the win, Levi Leipheimer was third. HARD race. The crowds? Electric...”
Armstrong’s next race is the Tour de France, which starts on July 4 in Monaco.
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