2007 Tour de Suisse
The 71st Tour de Suisse was held until 24 June 2007 by the 16th. The stage race consisted of a total of nine stages, including two individual time trials, one of which was held at the beginning of the tour as a prologue and a longer took place on the final day. The route with a planned total length of 1,255.6 kilometers, had a total of four summit finishes. By shortening the sixth stage due to the non- crossing of the Nufenenpass the total distance of the itinerary was reduced to 1160.1 km. However, the number of summit finishes did not change by maintaining the destination Crans- Montana on the sixth stage.
Participating teams
On the tour, the 20 ProTour teams, as well as the Austrian Professional Continental team Team Volksbank participated.
- Ag2r Prévoyance
- Team Astana
- Bouygues Télécom
- Caisse d' Epargne
- Cofidis
- Crédit Agricole
- Team CSC
- Discovery Channel
- Euskaltel -Euskadi
- Française des Jeux
- Team Gerolsteiner
- Lampre- Fondital
- Liquigas
- Team Milram
- Predictor -Lotto
- Quickstep Innergetic
- Rabobank
- Saunier Duval- Prodir
- Team T -Mobile
- Unibet.com
- Team Volksbank
Course
Stage 1 ( Prologue )
The 3.8 km long prologue on the street circuit in Olten won the local time trial world champion Fabian Cancellara clearly lead with eight seconds Daniele Bennati and another on José Iván Gutiérrez. Cancellara took 4:20 minutes for the course and remained, as Bennati and Gutiérrez, under the brand of 4:30 minutes.
For a long time, the Swiss Beat Zberg of Team Gerolsteiner with 4:33 minutes held the fastest time. Then Stuart O'Grady took over with a time of 4:30 minutes, the lead before he was replaced by Bennati. The best German Stefan Schumacher finished ninth, Tour de France Andreas Kloden favorite made it to number 13
In the overall standings and points classification Fabian Cancellara took after winning the first rank. Team CSC resulted in the team standings.
Stage 2
The second part of the day was a long time of Pascal Hungerbühler coined, who had settled as a soloist from the field and drove out a maximum lead of five minutes on the field. Through the discerning shot course with two climbs of the escape attempt ended 20 kilometers before the finish in Lucerne.
There was a mass sprint of the field, which was overshadowed by a fall about 500 meters before the finish. In a razor-thin finish Erik Zabel won ahead of Daniele Bennati and Fabian Cancellara, who defended his lead in the overall standings.
Stage 3
On the longest 228.7 kilometers stretch of the tour continued after 18 kilometers a Ausreissertrio to Daniel Navarro, Luis Pasamontes and Alessandro Proni from the field from. The three riders were at times out a maximum lead of over eleven minutes for the main draw. After they were closed on the first climb of the day, the Flüelapass, hazards, the projection contracted by the pace of work of the CSC team and Lampre - Fondital subsequently rapidly together. In the last climb of the day, Proni decided to attack. His two companions were not able to follow him and were soon overtaken by the group of favorites. Proni saved at the end of seven seconds on the chasing group to the finish and won his first ProTour race in front of Xavier Florencio and Kim Kirchen.
Fabian Cancellara defended the leader's jersey with two seconds ahead of stage winner Proni.
Stage 4
The fourth stage with a mountain top finish in Malbun in Liechtenstein community Triesenberg was, like, first determined on the eve of outliers. Kevin De Weert and Arkaitz Durán had come off the field and in the meantime moved out more than ten minutes ahead of the peloton. However, the flight ended 20 kilometers before the finish, which was mainly due to the pace of work of the team T -Mobile.
In the final climb to Malbun overall leader Fabian Cancellara lost ten kilometers before the stage finish connecting to the favorite group from the seven kilometers had dropped his teammate Fränk Schleck before the finish line. He single-handedly secured the victory 32 seconds ahead of Vladimir Jefimkin.
Schleck took the stage win by the Golden jersey of overall leader.
Stage 5
The fifth section to Giubiasco certain long time the Dutchman Laurens ten Dam. He had in the meantime moved out on his nearly four-hour flight a maximum projection of ten minutes, but the pace of tightening the sprinters' teams ended his attempt to escape ten kilometers from the finish. From the mass sprint of the field out Robbie McEwen won the stage ahead of Daniele Bennati and Erik Zabel.
Fränk Schleck retained the lead in the overall standings.
Stage 6
The sixth stage was hailstorm initially canceled in the morning shortly after takeoff in Giubiasco due to heavy rain and. After a break, the tour line agreed with the teams on the waiver crossing the " roof of the tour ," the Nufenenpass. The stage was officially launched in the afternoon in Ulrichen. The leg length was 95 km, with the stage finish in Crans -Montana remained.
After the restart, Víctor Hugo Peña and René Weissinger deposed by the peloton. The two outliers were able to extend their lead only to just under 3 minutes. In the field the pace was controlled by the CSC team, so that at the final climb to Crans -Montana should drop the decision on the day's victory. 13 km from the finish Peña and Weissinger were caught up. On the ascent were allowed to settle David López and Gerrit Glomser of the comprehensive about 20 riders group to the overall leader Fränk Schleck. Gradually, the chase group was divided - some drivers, including Thomas Dekker, Gilberto Simoni and Damiano Cunego could unlock the top, while Schleck fell back. At the top rating one kilometer before the goal Thomas Dekker finally took a moment of carelessness of the other driver, was allowed to settle and was able to record the stage win.
In the overall standings Vladimir Jefimkin could take over the golden jersey Fränk Schleck of, because this at the final climb on Jefimkin lost over a minute.
Stage 7
The " Queen Stage " of the Tour de Suisse in 2007 with two climbs of the highest category and the mountain top finish on the Grimsel Pass was marked by many breakaways. The field was divided quickly at the beginning of the first rise in several groups. A nine -man lead group with Andreas Klöden, Vladimir Gusev and Marzio Bruseghin could pull a gap of about four minutes on the field with the overall leader Vladimir Jefimkin up to the second mountain stage.
On the descent succeeded Martin Elmiger to break away from the leading group, Vladimir Gusev and Beat Zberg followed him. The group was able to extend their lead quickly to over a minute to his pursuers to Klöden. Finally Gusev launched an attack which could no longer follow his two companions. The residue of the chasing group on Gusev rose quickly to two minutes. Only the American Chris Horner started yet seek the attempt Gusev. This, however, it was no longer possible and thus Gusev was able to secure the victory. Horner reached the goal with 2:02 minutes behind the group of Andreas Klöden came in 35 seconds later.
Vladimir Jefimkin was able to defend his lead in the overall standings despite his daily residue of 4:15 minutes.
Stage 8
The hilly stage began with numerous breakaway attempts, but they were all finished quickly. Only after 70 kilometers, a group of eleven riders could settle, which also included Florian Stalder and Enrico Poitschke. You could pull out a maximum lead of three minutes on the peloton. 28 km before the stage finish, the Schwarzsee in the canton of Fribourg, Stalder won one of the two intermediate sprints and finally secured the jersey for the best sprinter. On the ascent to the first climb of the day, Carlos Sastre and Alessandro Ballan dropped off from the group, while the rest of the lead group was caught up from the chasing field. After the mountain classification also Ballan let fall. Sastre succeeded until the last sprint nine kilometers to stay in the lead in front of the goal, then he, too, was caught again.
As already all expected a sprint win, Rigoberto Urán launched an attack in the final kilometer. Since no other driver responded, he was able to secure the victory in front of Cristian Moreni and Andreas Klöden.
In the individual ratings, there were no changes.
Stage 9
The final individual time trial was, as its prologue, devoted to the reigning world time trial champion Fabian Cancellara and local heroes who could confidently secure his second stage victory. Only the German Andreas Klöden was the Swiss to defy to the first split time at the position. At the end of the day, he finished 20 seconds behind in second place and secured his third consecutive podium finish. The German -speaking podium was completed by Stefan Schumacher, who finished third at 33 seconds back.
In the battle for the overall title of the third-placed in front of the stage Vladimir Karpez distanced his before him counterparty Kim Kirchen and Vladimir Jefimkin significantly. Karpez secured at the end of the tour victory with over a minute ahead of Churches. The third podium place went to the Belgian Stijn Devolder. Jefimkin, who lost to his compatriot Karpez alone more than two minutes, had to settle for sixth place in the final standings at the end.
Stages
* Shortened to 95 km due to heavy rain and hailstorm at the beginning of the stage around the starting point Giubiasco; new starting point was Ulrichen
Jerseys in the itinerary
The table shows the support of the respective jerseys during each stage or the leaders of the respective Ranking in the evening of the previous day.