Tour de Suisse

Martin Solos to Mountain Top Victory

Photo:
© Columbia - High Road

Photo:
© Columbia - High Road

Tony Martin soloed to Columbia-Highroad’s sixth stage win in eight days of racing in the Tour of Switzerland on Saturday.

Clad in the King of the Mountains jersey, the young German rider powered away with less than a kilometre to race to cross the finish line at Crans-Montana alone. Second was Italian Damiano Cunego, four seconds back.

Martin’s victory brings Columbia-Highroad’s total of stage wins from the Tour of Switzerland to six and counting. Mark Cavendish has won two, and Bernhard Eisel, Kim Kirchen, Michael Albasini and Martin one each.

On a highly successful day’s racing for Columbia-Highroad, Saturday also saw Marco Pinotti clinch the Italian National Time Trial Championships for a fourth time. In addition Columbia-Highroad women’s team won all top three places overall in the RaboSter Tour in Holland.

“I realized Cunego was chasing behind, and he got fairly close, but I made it in the first place to the finish all the same,” Martin commented. “I’d tried the same kind of move yesterday at the mountain-top finish in Juraparc but it didn’t work out. This time round was different. I waited a lot longer and finally accelerated 500 metres from the line. I got a good gap, and then I knew that I was going to be able to win.”

Already victorious in the time trial stages of the Criterium International in France and the Bayern Rundfahrt in Germany this year, the second-year pro said he considered his Swiss victory “to be the first big win of my career.” 

“Hopefully I can do a good time trial on Sunday, too.”

The Tour of Switzerland’s last stage is a 38.5 kilometre race against the clock, starting and finishing in Berne.


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