2009 Tour de Suisse Live Dashboard
Final GC Podium L-to-R: 3rd Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas, 1st Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team Saxo Bank, 2nd Tony Martin (Ger) Team Columbia - Highroad
|
 
Also follow steephill on Twitter for the latest race info and video updates. |
Stage 9 Preview: Final Day ITT Sunday  Stage 9 Preview and Google Earth MapsRace Preview / GC Contenders — steephill.tv Team rosters with bib numbers Stage 9 ITT Startlist
|
|
Le Direct: Live Streaming Video and TV Coverage
June 21 update:The list below are the known sources for live streaming video, tv and text coverage for Tour de Suisse 2009. Chip in if you can with info or links. — Steve
Stage 9 Preview and Google Earth Maps (also see previews for other stages)
Team rosters with bib numbers
Stage 9 ITT Startlist
| media source | tv or internet | comments/restrictions |
|---|---|---|
 |
 live video
(italian) tv schedule |
Italian; unrestricted |
 |
 live video (unrestricted) |
France with German commentary unrestricted |
 |
live video (flemish) tv schedule |
Belgium; Flemish |
 |
live video (german) tv schedule
|
German commentary; unrestricted |
 |
live video (french) tv schedule |
France, Andorra, African States, Monaco; French unrestricted |
 |
live video (basque) tv schedule |
ETB1 Basque, Spain; Basque unrestricted |
 |
live video (german) tv schedule |
Switzerland, Germany; German |
 |
tv schedule |
Romande; French |
 |
tv schedule |
Italian |
 |
tv schedule |
North America; Sunday stages on TV (delayed) and daily internet recaps during the week |
 |
live video ($) |
North America only; requires a subscription; english commentary |
 |
 webcam w/ tour tracker |
official tour tracker in German |
 |
 steephill text updates #tdsuisse twitter group |
short text updates from any and everyone |
 |
 live text updates |
English; starting with stage 6 on Thursday |
| radsport | live ticker (google english translation) |
Radsport's good German Ticker |
 |
basic live ticker (google english translation) |
basic official ticker in French and German | check back at race time for more and updated links;  send a comment or a new live link |
Stage 8: Another Team Columbia win this time by Tony Martin; lots of riders still in contention, but Cancellara looking good for tomorrow's deciding ITT and the overall win
9 Big Photos from Stage 8 — sirottiStage 8 results 1 Tony Martin (Ger) Team Columbia - Highroad 182 km in 4u12'31" 2 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre 3 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team Saxo Bank :02 4 Tadej Valjavec (Slo) 5 Kim Kirchen (Ger) Team Columbia - Highroad General classification after stage 8 1 Tadej Valjavec (Slo) 32h19'48" 2 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team Saxo Bank :04 3 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas :28 4 Tony Martin (Ger) Team Columbia - Highroad :39 5 Andreas Kloeden (Ger) Astana :45
Full Results...coming — cyclingnewsOok Tony Martin pikt zijn graantje mee — sporza.be Last Km (02:53 Flemish) — sporzaKlöden Tests His Legs — astana-cyclingteam Last 5 Km of Crans-Montana (10:00 German) — rtl Stage 8 Photos — grahamwatson 9 Big Photos from Stage 8 — sirotti
Stage 8 Preview: Mountaintop Finish SaturdayStage 8 Preview and Google Earth MapsRace Preview / GC Contenders — steephill.tv Team rosters with bib numbers
|
|
Stage 7: Kim Kirchen catches Roman Kreuziger over the final meters of the finishing climb to give Team Columbia another win; Kreuziger takes 11 seconds out of Tadej Valjavec's overall lead
Roman Kreuziger (Cze) of Liquigas put in a good dig with 3 km to go, but came up 150m short
9 Big Photos from Stage 7 — sirottiStage 7 results 1 Kim Kirchen (Lux) Team Columbia - Highroad 2 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas :02 3 Peter Velits (Svk) Team Milram :06 4 Olivier Zaugg (Swi) Liquigas 5 Jose Alberto Benitez (Spa) Fuji-Servetto 6 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team Saxo Bank :07 7 José Vicente Garcia Acosta (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 8 Vladimir Karpets (Rus) Team Katusha 9 Tony Martin (Ger) Team Columbia - Highroad 10 Frank Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank General classification after stage 7 1 Tadej Valjavec (Slo) 28h07'15" 2 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team Saxo Bank :09 3 Olivier Zaugg (Swi) Liquigas :14 4 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas :31
Full Results...coming — cyclingnewsKirchen schenkt Team Columbia alweer een zege — sporza.be Last Km (02:53 Flemish) — sporza Last 3 Km (10:00 German) — rtlKirchen gives Columbia another win in Switzerland — cyclingweekly.co.uk Stage 7 Photos — grahamwatson 9 Big Photos from Stage 7 — sirotti Post Stage 7 interviews: Kirchen, Zülle, Burghardt, Cancellara (German) — tds.ch
Stage 7 Preview: Mountaintop Finish FridayStage 7 Preview and Google Earth MapsRace Preview / GC Contenders — steephill.tv Team rosters with bib numbers
|
|
Stage 6: Mark Cavendish wins the sprint finish in Bad Zurzach; Cancellara gains bonus seconds and moves into 2nd on GC
2 Big Photos from Stage 6 — sirottiStage 6 results 1 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Columbia 2 Oscar Freire (Spa) Rabobank 3 Francesco Gavazzi (Ita) Lampre 4 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Cervelo General classification after stage 6 1 Tadej Valjavec (Slo) 23h10'27" 2 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team Saxo Bank :09 3 Olivier Zaugg (Swi) Liquigas :14 4 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas :42
Full Results — cyclingnewsCavendish is de snelste in Zwitserland — sporza.be Last Km (01:40 Flemish) — sporza Last 3 Km (06:25 German) — rtl Stage 6 Photos — grahamwatsonCavendish wins again at the Tour of Switzerland — cyclingweekly.co.uk Stage 6 Highlights (00:39) — eurosport Stage 6 Highlights and Cavendish interview (03:20) — versus 2 Big Photos from Stage 6 — sirotti
Stage 6 Preview: ThursdayStage 6 Preview and Google Earth MapsRace Preview / GC Contenders — steephill.tv Team rosters with bib numbers
|
|
Stage 5 results: Michael Albasini steps up and gives Columbia another win this year; Andy Schleck falls off the GC leaderboard
9 Big Photos from Stage 5 — sirotti
Albasini klopt Cancellara in een bergrit — sporza.be Last Km (02:35 Flemish) — sporzaAlbasini king of Serfaus — cyclingnewsSvizzera, vince Albasini
Andy Schleck affonda — gazzetta.it Last 5 Km (10:10 German) — rtlAlbasini wins at Tour de Suisse, Valjavec keeps lead
— velonews Stage 5 Photos — grahamwatson 9 Big Photos from Stage 5 — sirotti Post Stage 5 interviews (German) — tds.chSuisse Roadside: An Austrian Adventure — pezcyclingnews Stage 5 Highlights (00:59) — eurosport Stage 5 Highlights (02:18) — versus
Stage 5 Preview: Queen StageStage 5 Preview and Google Earth MapsRace Preview / GC Contenders — steephill.tv Team rosters with bib numbers
|
|
Stage 4 results: The break succeeds with Matti Breschel winning the bunch sprint; Tadej Valjavec now in Yellow
Stage 4: Photo finish won by Matti Breschel
Stage 4: The peloton switching up the HC San Gottardo (cobbled) climb where an early successful break formed
9 Big Photos from Stage 4 — sirottiStage 4 results 1 Matti Breschel (Den) Saxo Bank 197 km in 5h01'34" 2 Maxim Iglinski (Kaz) Astana 3 Tadej Valjavec (Slo) Ag2r General classification after stage 4 1 Tadej Valjavec (Slo) AG2R La Mondiale 13:27:57 2 Andy Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank :02 3 Peter Velits (Svk) Team Milram :11 4 Thomas Rohregger (Aut) Team Milram :13 5 Olivier Zaugg (Swi) Liquigas :14 6 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team Saxo Bank :20 7 Robert Kiserlovsky (Cro) Fuji-Servetto :34 8 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas :42 9 Maxim Iglinskiy (Kaz) Astana 10 Andreas Klöden (Ger) Astana :45
Full Results — cyclingnewsTop Ten Results - Breschel wint spurt van kleine kopgroep — sporza.be Last Km (01:40 Flemish) — sporza Stage 4 Photos — grahamwatson 9 Big Photos from Stage 4 — sirotti Last 5 Km (09:22 German) — rtl Stage 4 Highlights (03:41) — versus
Stage 4 PreviewStage 4 Preview and Google Earth MapsRace Preview / GC Contenders — steephill.tv Team rosters with bib numbers (updated)
|
|
Stage 3 results: Cavendish easily wins
7 Big Photos from Stage 3 — sirottiStage 3 results 1 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team Columbia 2 Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa) Rabobank 3 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Cervelo General classification after stage 3 1 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team Saxo Bank
Full Results — cyclingnewsCavendish klopt Freire en Hushovd bergop — sporza.be Last Km (04:47 Flemish) — sporzaCavendish wins Tour of Switzerland sprint — cyclingweekly.co.ukCavendish wins in Switzerland — velonews Stage 3 Photos — grahamwatson Last 3 Km (06:15 German) — rtl Stage 3 Highlights (03:59) — versus 7 Big Photos from Stage 3 — sirotti (Very Brief) Stage 3 Highlights (00:29) — eurosportStage 3 PreviewStage 3 Preview and Google Earth MapsRace Preview / GC Contenders — steephill.tv Team rosters with bib numbers (updated) |
|
Stage 2 results: Bernhard Eisel (Team Columbia-Highroad) wins a photo finish
9 Big Photos from Stage 2 — sirotti and edward madden
Stage 2 results 1 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Team Columbia 2 Gerald Ciolek (Ger) Team Milram 3 Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa) Rabobank General classification after stage 2 1 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team Saxo Bank
Full Results — cyclingnews Last Km (02:39 Flemish) — sporza 9 Big Photos from Stage 2 — sirotti Stage 2 Photos — edward madden Stage 2 Highlights (01:04) — versusJune 14 update: I was slow in updating the provisional rosters, lots of changes to the official rosters. Please take another look. Steve
Stage 2 Preview
Stage 2 Preview and Google Earth MapsRace Preview / GC Contenders — steephill.tv Team rosters with bib numbers (updated)
9 Big Photos from Stage 1 — sirottiStage 1 results: Fabian Cancellara announces his return to form with a dominent opening ITT win
Stage 1 results 1 Fabian Cancellara 7,8 km in 6'23" 2 Roman Kreuziger + 19" 3 Andreas Klöden + 22" 4 George Hincapie + 24" 5 Tony Martin + 31" 6 Kim Kirchen + 31"
Full Results — cyclingnewsCancellara is de snelste in eigen land — sporza.be Highlights: Verslag Van De Zevende Etappe (01:05 Flemish) — sporza Post Stage 1 interviews: (Cancellara, Klöden, Elmiger, Rast) (German) — tds.ch Stage 1 Photos — edward madden Stage 1 Highlights (02:06) — versusJune 11 update:
Versus 2009 Race Preview (01:14) — versus2009 Tour de Suisse Race Preview
by Edward Madden, steephill.tv (photos courtesy of Edward Madden / dotcycling.com)
The Contenders: | |
|
|
Roman Kreuziger (for overall) Roman Kreuziger won the 2008 edition of the race after smashing the field during the Klausenpass time trial. This year his form is even better. After a very strong classics season, Kreuziger rode a fantastic Tour de Romandie to take a stage and the overall after a masterful display in the climbs. Romandie was his first season target, and he has made it known that the overall in the TdS is his second target. He is also aiming for a good ride in the Tour in July. This years course which favours a strong all-rounder will suit Kreuziger to a tee. On top of that, Kreuziger regards Switzerland as his second home and has made it known that he loves racing in Switzerland. Watch out for this guy! |
|
|
Fränk Schleck (for overall) Fränk Schleck’s season so far has been mixed with emotions. After winning a stage in the Tour of California and finishing second overall in Paris-Nice, a bad crash during the Amstel Gold shook him out of form. However, Fränk just won the overall of the Tour de Luxembourg and seems to be coming into good form in time for the Tour de France. Schleck was a contender for the overall in the TdS last year until his infamous crash during stage 5 to Caslano when Fränk left the road and fell down a ravine, narrowling escaping serious injury. Fränk is likely to be a main contender for the overall and expect him to be at the front from the second day in Davos. |
|
|
Andy Schleck (for overall) This year may be Andy’s year. The younger Schleck also just came good during the Tour de Luxembourg with a stage victory. He is regarded as a serious contender for the Tour de France. In last years TdS he rode a fairly quiet race but finished in a highly respectable 6th. Expect Andy to ride even stronger this year. |
|
|
Vladimir Karpets (for overall) Vladimir Karpets won the TdS in 2007 but in 2008 he road the Giro d’Italia and then took a break before the Tour de France. This year Karpets is back to the TdS and after a strong ride in the Tour de Romandie where he finished second behind Kreuziger, the 2009 TdS may see the old Karpets back. |
|
|
Andreas Klöden (for overall) Andreas Klöden will attend this years TdS under a shroud of controversy as the team leader of Astana. It still remains to be seen whether Klöden will get a start at the tour. Leaving aside any opinions as to whether he should be permitted to race or not, Klöden has been flying pretty much under the radar – but is likely to play a major role in the outcome of the race. Expect him to be in the top 10 if not the top 5. Klöden came second last year after a powerful final time trial. |
|
|
Kim Kirchen (for overall) Kim Kirchen nearly stole the race last year. A bad day during the Klausenpass time trial lost him the race and a podium position. Kirchen may not be a man for the longer tours, but the TdS is the perfect length for him. He won the mountain finish in Verbier last year in a similar parcours to the stages to Crans-Montana and Juraparc this year. Kirchen also finished on the podium in 2007 and is likely to challenge strongly again, despite the fact he is still building up form after his recent collar-bone break. |
|
|
Filippo Pozzato (for overall) Filippo Pozzato may rank as an outsider for this year’s TdS. After a strong classics season, Pozzato rode a fair Tour de Romandie (22nd) before going to the Giro. Injury forced him out of the race on stage 12. Pozzato will need to salvage a good Tour de France and end of season and the TdS will be his starting point. Expect Pozzato to try for at least a stage and aim for a top 10 finish. |
|
|
Christian Vande Velde (for overall) This is CVV's first race back after crashing out early at last month's Giro d'Italia. We'll get a good indication if he'll be ready for the Tour de France. See an interview with Christian Vande Velde, June 11, 2009. |
|
|
Fabian Cancellara (stages) Swiss star Fabian Cancellara is not an overall contender, but the presence of two time trials, each with routes that suit him, means that Fabian is likely to be feature prominently in the race. Last year Fabian won two road stages in the race with his masterful “flying Houdini” tactic. The year before he won the opening prologue and the final TT in Bern. Fabian has had a bad year by his standards. Illness, crashes, and pulling out of Romandie and the Giro. The TdS will be an opportunity for him to redeem himself on home turf. Will he pull off the TT double like in 2007? Tony Martin may have something to say about that. The German appears to be coming into form and is likely to be one of the main opponents of Cancellara in the crono. |
|
|
Mark Cavendish (stages) The sprinters have only a handful of opportunities in this years race. Apart from one clear possible sprint finish in Bad Zurzach, there are two other potential sprints in Lumino and in Stäfa , depending on how fragmented the bunch gets over the final climbs. On these two days into Lumino and Stäfa expect Oscar Friere to be in contention. If Cavendish can handle the climbs, he will be the clear favourite. Also in contention will be Daniele Bennati, Thor Hushovd, Gerald Ciolek and Heinrich Haussler. |
June 10 update: This year’s edition of the Tour de Suisse will be the 73rd running of the race, kicking off on Saturday June 13 in Liechtenstein and finishing 9 stages and one week later on June 21 in the Swiss capital Bern.
Widely regarded as the fourth most important and difficult race in the cycling season, the race has always enjoyed popularity as a key warm up race for the Tour de France, which starts two weeks after the end of the TdS. This key calendar slot for the race has, in recent years, caused some friendly rivalry with the organizers of the Critérium Dauphiné Libéré. The schedule, with the Dauphiné finishing two days after the Swiss race starts, means that Tour contenders need to choose which event will give them better preparation.
This year it seems as though the Dauphiné may have attracted more key Tour de France players than the TdS. Whilst neither race will have Carlos Sastre, Menchov or even Armstrong, the importance of the Ventoux climb to the outcome of this year’s Tour de France seems to have sent a number of Tour favourites to the Dauphiné. There they will have the chance to race up the Ventoux in anger, testing their form ahead of the big July show-down. It may also be the case that a number of the Tour contenders regard the Swiss course, which is longer (at 1,355km)and contains more high mountain passes, as too difficult and even closer to the Tour start date.
Despite this, the start list of the TdS is impressively packed with key riders who are likely to make this year’s race one of the most exciting in recent times.
The race kicks off with a short time trial in the tiny principality of Liechstenstein over a course that will undoubtedly suit the crono specialists. Switzerland’s Fabian Cancellara will be taking the start ramp and his is undoubtedly the favourite to don the first yellow jersey.
The second stage will see the riders deal with the steep roads of the canton of Graubünden as the riders go out on a loop and finish in Davos after close to 2000m of climbing. At the end of the second day we are likely to see the a group of contenders of no more than 25 or 30 left in contention. The next day, stage 3, takes in the tough climb of the Lukmanier Pass as the riders traverse the Alps to the canton of Ticino. The climb comes at the halfway point giving the sprinters a hope of getting back for the rapid finish into Lumino.
Stage 4 of the race includes the hors categorie climb of the Gotthard. The climbing will start from the off in Biasca, but it will not be until later in the stage that the main moves will come as the riders wind their way over Sattel and Sattelegg in the direction of the Zurich lake. This stage could present an ideal opportunity for a break to succeed, but there is also a possibility of a large group getting to the finish in Stäfa together.
Many riders will already be nervous of the next stage which rides from Stäfa and enters Austria and climbs in the Austrian Tyrol to the stage finish town of Serfaus. This stage 5 is likely to be key to the outcome of the race. Whilst the GC wont be finalized today the first category climb of the Arlberg Pass followed by the steep and incredibly difficult first category climb of the finish is surely going to rule many riders out of contention. This is a climbers stage, but also a stage where a powerful rider who can hold his own will be able to hang on to take precious time over rivals.
The next day the race returns to Switzerland with a relatively straight-forward stage over 178.0 km from Oberriet to Bad Zurzach. Whilst the sprinters may have had a chance during the run-in to Lumino at the end of Stage 2, and possibly even at the end of stage 3, this stage is the purest example of a sprinters stage in this years race. Two laps of a large 28km loop at the end of the stage which contain a minor category 4 lump, seem ideal for the fast finishers. After this stage, there are no other opportunities for the pure sprinters.
Stage 7 from Bad Zurzach to Vallorbe/Juraparc is the longest of the race at 204km and unfortunately has all the hall marks of being a difficult race to watch, until the end that is. The parcours is flat with little or no obstacles until the riders hit the last 30km at which point the route will kick up and knock out all the sprinters. The hill-top finish in the Juraparc nature reserve will suit a power-climber with a kick will have the strength to launch out of what could be a large bunch.
The next day, Stage 8, has a somewhat similar feel, with most of the route from Le Sentier to Crans-Montana in the Romandie region being non-problematic. 30km from the end the road kicks-up again in a similar fashion to the day before as the riders encounter the tough category one climb to Crans-Montana. This climb which winds its way up from the town of Sion is surely going to eliminate all the sprinters as a number of the leaders are likely to spring into real action on this last climb of the 2009 TdS, in the hope of either gaining some cushion time or clawing back lost seconds ahead of the final stage time trial.
The final stage of this year’s race will be a cliff hanger as the riders take part in a 38.5km individual time trial around Bern. The course consists of a circuit that needs to be completed twice, each time the riders having to deal with two nasty energy-sapping and rhythm breaking climbs.
Up until the final stage the time gaps at the front of the race are likely to be small. Whilst the 2009 parcours contains a number of tough climbs and mountain finishes, there is no real sustained climbing over multiples of passes, as has been the case in a number of past editions. This could mean that time losses in the hills can be minimized with clever riding and tactics. The final stage could hence provide a for a dramatic last day show-down as it did in 2007 when Vladimir Karpets stole the race on the last day time trial around a similar course over a similar distance in Bern.
Other contenders: A number of other riders who are participating in this years race have a chance of making a significant impact. Sylvain Chavanel and Damiano Cunego are outsiders, but could come good. World Champion Alessandro Ballan is also coming back after illness in the hope that he can salvage something for the rest of the year. And US rider Christian Vandevelde who crashed heavily during the Giro will be hoping to return to form in time for the Tour de France.
An interesting rider to watch will be Holland’s Thomas Dekker who has been having a horrific time since falling out with his old Rabobank team at last years race. Since then Dekker has joined Silence-Lotto. He has been building form all year with a view to targeting the Tour de France. If Thomas doesn’t ride well here he may well miss the Tour for a second year running. Tadej Valjavec of AG2R who rode remarkably well in the Giro is also on the start list. It remains to be seen how well he has recovered from his efforts in Italy.
And lastly, Switzerland will have 20 professionals in the race. Many of the Swiss riders specifically target the Tour de Suisse and the Tour de Romandie. Expect Martin Elmiger (AG2R) to put in an appearance, as could Oliver Zaugg (Liquigas) and Steve Morabito (Astana). One to especially watch will be young Marcel Wyss of the Cervelo Test Team. In his first season, he already rode superbly in the Tour de Romandie and is likely to be in peak fitness for the TdS. — Edward Madden
2009 Tour de Suisse Route Map (la carte du parcours)
Stage Date Start - Finish 1 13.06.2009 Prolog Mauren - Ruggell (Liechtensteiner Unterland) 2 14.06.2009 Davos - Davos 3 15.06.2009 Davos - Lumino 4 16.06.2009 Biasca - Stäfa 5 17.06.2009 Stäfa - Serfaus 6 18.06.2009 Oberriet - Bad Zurzach 7 19.06.2009 Bad Zurzach - Juraparc / Vallorbe 8 20.06.2009 Juraparc / Val de Joux - Crans Montana 9 21.06.2009 Bern - Bern
Tour de Suisse 2008