Schleck, Armstrong Storm Final Podium
Tour de Suisse
Stage 9: Individual Time Trial - Liestal (ITT) 26.9km
The day began with Fränk Schleck needing to recover 00:38 on yellow jersey holder Robert Gesink (Rabobank), while Lance Armstrong (Team RadioShack) needed 00:55, nearly 2 seconds per kilmoter to take over the lead. Both Schleck and Armstrong’s performances promised a dramatic day of cycling as the general classification shuffled significantly. Schleck’s 13th place finish on the stage was enough for the Saxo Bank rider to take the lead from Gesink, while Armstrong’s time of 33:30 securing his 2nd place finish atop the podium.
“Finishing second in the fourth largest race in the world, I must be on track. If you look at the field that was here on all levels, the climbers, the sprinters, the rouleurs, you look at the courses, the speeds in the mountains and you compare that to the alternative race, this was what we will see in the Tour,” said Lance Armstrong.
Armstrong continued, “It was no secret that Frank would go so fast. We saw him riding in Luxemburg. Also here in the mountain stage over the Albula, he was the big animator so... But I have to be pleased. Third in Luxemburg, second here, I'll do the math on the next race...”
Team RadioShack enjoyed strong performances across the board. Levi Leipheimer posted the best time of the day: a fifth place finish, 00:48 behind winner, Tony Martin. Teammate Andreas Klöden shortly followed the American with a time of 33:13, good enough for sixth place on the stage. Alongside Armstrong, a true testament to Team RadioShack's Tour de France preparation was Klöden and Leipheimer's 8th and 10th overall finishes.
In tune with the rest of the nine-day stage race, rain characterized early course conditions. The straightforward 26.9-kilometer course began with a gradual climb across the first 11.4 kilometers. What went up, had to come down, as the next 15 kilometers featured a rapid descent toward the finish, with a slight up-kick as riders cross the finish line.
Armstrong explains, “The conditions changed a little bit for some of the later guys but certainly for Frank, Gesink, myself and the other top guys, they were similar. It was a hard TT. I felt solid on the bike and comfortable… When you lose by 12 seconds you always look back and think what could I have done differently but... Maybe I lost this race in the prologue, but that day I never guessed I would end so close today. That's the way the ball bounces.”
The early favorite of the day, Fabian Cancellara, the prologue winner and overall 2009 Tour de Suisse champion, set a blistering time of 32:17. Cancellara was followed by American national champion David Zabriskie. The Garmin-Transitions rider looked strong, however appeared to exercise caution into the final corner, eventually losing ground on Cancellara. The fastest time of the day came from German Tony Martin (HTC-Columbia) who’s efficient cadence and power was unmatched through all time checks. Martin finished with a time of 32:21, 17-seconds ahead of Cancellara.
Armstrong began slowly and was well down at the first time check but rallied after the climb, taking risk after risk on the descent. Schleck, who was seventh at the first time check, continued to gain ground on the leader who came through the time check 1:09 down on Zabriskie.
There was initial hope for Gesink, who rose out of the saddle with controlled strength and determination. His lead seemed unbreakable as he clocked in five seconds faster than Schleck at the first time check. However, Gesink cracked on the descent as he began to lose a second every kilometer to the champions-in-waiting ahead of him.
Joaqium Rodriguez, who sat in 5th position overall coming in to Stage 9, put in a strong enough time to maintain a Top 10 overall finish. The Katusha rider roomed with Kim Kirchen, currently in an induced coma after a heart attack on Friday night. Schleck dedicated his victory to the fellow Luxembourg cyclist and friend.
"Me, Andy and my entire family we really hope that things will go better quickly," Schleck said. "I want to express my sympathy to his wife, who is pregnant and already has twins. I became a father two months ago and I know what it means. My victory is for him."
With the Tour de France beginning in less than two weeks, Team RadioShack will finalize their rosters and Armstrong will continue his final days of preparation.
“There were here some guys missing but for whatever the reason, this race attracted most of the Tour de France favorites and it's a good indication of what's coming up. I just have to stay healthy and try to get that extra one percent,” concludes Armstrong, seven-time Tour de France champion.
Stage 9 Results
1 Tony Martin (Ger) Team HTC - Columbia 0:32:21
2 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team Saxo Bank 0:00:17
3 David Zabriskie (USA) Garmin - Transitions 0:00:29
4 Gustav Erik Larsson (Swe) Team Saxo Bank 0:00:48
5 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Team Radioshack
6 Andreas Klöden (Ger) Team Radioshack 0:00:52
7 Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Team Saxo Bank
8 Maxime Monfort (Bel) Team HTC - Columbia 0:00:57
9 Wouter Poels (Ned) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team 0:01:02
10 Stijn Devolder (Bel) Quick Step 0:01:07
11 Lance Armstrong (USA) Team Radioshack 0:01:09
12 Nicolas Jonathan Castroviejo (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 0:01:14
13 Fränk Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank
14 Alessandro Ballan (Ita) BMC Racing Team 0:01:20
15 Jérémy Roy (Fra) Française Des Jeux 0:01:21
Final General Classification
1 Fränk Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank 35:02:00
2 Lance Armstrong (USA) Team Radioshack 0:00:12
3 Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Team Saxo Bank 0:00:17
4 Steve Morabito (Swi) BMC Racing Team 0:00:23
5 Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank 0:00:27
6 Tony Martin (Ger) Team HTC - Columbia
7 Rigoberto Uran (Col) Caisse d'Epargne 0:00:33
8 Andreas Klöden (Ger) Team Radioshack 0:00:48
9 Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver (Spa) Team Katusha 0:01:09
10 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Team Radioshack 0:01:14
Team RadioShack General Classification
2 Lance Armstrong (USA) Team Radioshack 0:00:12
8 Andreas Klöden (Ger) Team Radioshack 0:00:48
10 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Team Radioshack 0:01:14
60 Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Team Radioshack 0:35:09
75 Grégory Rast (Swi) Team Radioshack 0:52:50
96 Dimitri Muravyev (Kaz) Team Radioshack 1:07:47
102 Jason Mccartney (USA) Team Radioshack 1:11:40
106 Gert Steegmans (Bel) Team Radioshack 1:15:50
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