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Hey and welcome to the Biking Information reside protection of the 2023 Tour de Suisse.
Whereas the Critérium du Dauphiné reaches its conclusion within the Alps of France at the moment, a second set of riders line up on the Tour de Suisse, a lot of whom will probably be testing their legs forward of the Tour de France, which begins in 20 days.
Among the many rivals vying for GC glory in Switzerland over the subsequent 8 days are Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep), Juan Ayuso and Jay Vine of UAE Group Emirates, Romain Bardet (Group DSM), Wilco Kelderman and Tobias Foss (Jumbo Visma), Rigoberto Uran (EF Training-EasyPost), Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious) and Sergio Higuita (Bora-hansgrohe).
Along with the GC contenders, there are an amazing many different prime identify riders lining as much as tackle the race, together with Wout Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma), Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers), Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty), Arnaud Démare (Groupama-FDJ), and Peter Sagan (Group TotalEnergies).
However at the moment is one for the time trial specialists. Whereas it exceeds the space historically denoting a Prologue, it’s nonetheless a really quick, quick course, taking in a distance of 12.7km across the city of Einsiedeln.
The route could be very barely undulating however with none main obstacles. It travels in a loop, taking the riders throughout the Sihlsee lake, and again alongside the lake shore towards the end line, not removed from the beginning in Einsiedeln. It mustn’t take the riders far more than round quarter-hour, and the margins will probably be slender on the finish of the day.
The primary rider off the ramp will probably be Ineos Grenadiers’ Connor Swift, at 14.25 CET (13.25 BST).
There are an amazing many time trial specialists on the beginning checklist who will probably be seeking to launch their Tour de Suisse with a victory. Maybe the favorite for the day is Remco Evenepoel. The Belgian reaffirmed his enviable talent in opposition to the clock on the Giro d’Italia, the place he received each of the time trial phases earlier than he was compelled to retire following a optimistic covid-19 take a look at.
That is the rider’s first race because the sickness, so he will probably be seeking to take a look at himself and set a powerful time in a bid to win the race for the primary time, on his second look.
He’ll face stiff competitors at the moment from different time trial specialists akin to Wout Van Aert, Stefan Kung, and Tobias Foss. It is the primary time the 2 Belgian time trialling giants will meet exterior of a Championships.
Stage 1️⃣ of 🇨🇭Tour de Suisse marks the primary time that 🇧🇪Remco Evenepoel and 🇧🇪Wout van Aert go face to face in a TT exterior of championships. (Wout has by no means misplaced a TT H2H)It additionally marks the first time the Belgian superstars seem collectively for a stage race.#tourdesuisse2023 pic.twitter.com/9n9Nt6PXgxJune 10, 2023
The primary riders of the day are out on the course. They are going to set off at one minute intervals and, as that is the primary stage of the race, the beginning occasions have been pre-selected by the riders and groups, moderately than being decided by the final classification.
As Connor Swift heads for the end line, a number of different riders are behind him on the course seeking to set the quickest early time and sit down within the scorching seat. Riders at the moment on the right track together with Marco Haller (Group DSM), Romain Gregoire (Groupama-FDJ), Biniam Girmay (Intermarche-Circus-Wanty) and Koen Bouwman (Jumbo-Visma).
Different riders who will hope to problem for the stage win at the moment embrace the UAE Group Emirates pairing of Jay Vine and Juan Ayuso. The crew have labored onerous on their time trialling and this has paid off in current months, with wins for Ayuso on the Tour de Romandie and simply final week, Mikkel Bjerg on the Dauphiné.
The primary rider of the day to begin, Connor Swift of Ineos Grenadiers, maintains his place and stops the clock at 14.19, with a formidable common velocity of 53.224km/h. Let’s have a look at how lengthy he can stay within the scorching seat.
With three riders having accomplished the course, Connor Swift retains the lead. Simone Velasco completed 14 seconds adrift in 14.33, and Clement Venturini 1.31 behind in 15.50.
Romain Gregoire (Groupama-FDJ) unseats Swift, taking 13 seconds of the Brit’s time and setting a brand new quickest time of 14.06.
It is a day which seems to be set to see some very quick occasions.
Filip Maciejuk of Bahrain-Victorious strikes into third spot with a time of 14.23. The quick, quick nature of at the moment’s time trial implies that GC riders who do not excel in opposition to the clock needn’t fear an excessive amount of because the margins will probably be comparatively slender on the finish of the day, and mustn’t impression the GC standings too enormously.
Nonetheless, there’s a second time trial on the ultimate stage subsequent Sunday which, at nearly double the size of at the moment’s, will provide GC riders who’re good time triallists the possibility to redeem themselves.
Riders at the moment out on the right track embrace Arnaud Démare (Groupama-FDJ), Bryan Coquard (Cofidis) and Mikkel Honoré (EF Training-EasyPost). Romain Grégoire retains the quickest time at the moment however there are an amazing many riders nonetheless to take to the course on this quick, livid trial in opposition to the clock.
Some extra quick occasions being set, with Trek-Segafredo’s Quinn Simmons narrowly lacking out on the new seat with a time of 14.12, and UAE Group Emirates’ Sjoerd Bax simply behind him, at 14.18. Grégoire holds on for now.
Tobias Ludvigsson of Q36.5 Professional Biking misses out by only one second. A powerful time from the Swede.
Group Jumbo-Visma’s Rohan Dennis has simply began. The previous Australian time trial champion may go nicely at the moment.
Dries de Pooter of Intermarché-Circus-Wanty units a brand new quickest time on the first time verify, taking on 40 seconds off of Grégoire’s time at that time, round midway alongside the course.
Rohan Dennis passes by way of the identical time verify simply after and equals the time of Grégoire.
Ineos Grenadiers’ Tom Pidcock is out on the right track. After a powerful opening to the season, profitable Strade Bianche, Pidcock has had combined fortunes since then, crashing out of Tirreno-Adriatico, earlier than a powerful marketing campaign within the Ardennes Classics. He will probably be hoping to place collectively a superb efficiency right here forward of this 12 months’s Tour de France.
Correction: Dries de Pooter’s time was incorrect on the first time verify. The rider finishes in twentieth place.
Rohan Dennis finishes in 4th place, with a time of 14.15, and Arnaud Démare completes the course in 14.33. His crew mate Grégoire stays within the scorching seat.
Matteo Sobrero of Group Jayco-Alula units the brand new quickest time at time verify 1. The previous Italian time trial champion seems to be set for a quick end.
New quickest time! Matteo Sobrero (Group Jayco Alula) turfs Grégoire from his throne, taking 15 seconds off the very best time to set a brand new excessive bar of 13.51. That is going to take some beating, however with some significantly robust specialists on their approach, Sobrero is unlikely to be sitting all that comfortably.
Tom Pidcock has handed by way of the primary time verify and appears to be taking the course conservatively; he’s unlikely to problem for the win until he picks up velocity significantly within the second half of the time trial.
Pidcock wears the #1 on the race, in lieu of final 12 months’s winner, his crew mate Geraint Thomas.
Peter Sagan (TotalEnergies) has accomplished the course, in a time of 14.30, to place him in provisional thirteenth place. It is a good exhibiting from the Slovak rider who’s in his closing 12 months of aggressive highway racing.
EF Training-EasyPost’s Neilson Powless is out on the right track now. The American has had an amazing season to date, and can hope to contend this week – whether or not he’ll goal a excessive total placement or intention for stage wins stays to be seen. With Rigoberto Uran additionally within the crew, EF have choices.
Cofidis’ Alexis Renard units a very robust time, equalling Romain Grégoire to enter provisional second place.
Neilson Powless finishes in seventh place.
A powerful experience additionally for Groupama-FDJ’s Miles Scotson, who sneaks in slightly below 14.09 to enter provisional fifth place.
Romain Grégoire in motion throughout stage 1 of the 2023 Tour de Suisse.
The situations for at the moment’s time trial are dry and nonetheless, with a temperature of round 22 levels celsius.
The final winner of a time trial on the Tour de Suisse was Remco Evenepoel himself. The Belgian was victorious in stage 8 final 12 months, beating total winner Geraint Thomas into second place simply as he did a couple of weeks in the past within the stage 9 time trial on the Giro d’Italia.
Matteo Sobrero continues to get pleasure from his time within the scorching seat, retaining the provisional quickest time. His crew mate Kelland O’Brien may problem him as he approaches the end line – he achieved the second quickest time to date on the first intermediate time verify.
Nikias Arndt (Bahrain Victorious) units the brand new quickest time on the first time verify, taking 4 seconds off of the time of Sobrero.
Shortly after, he catches and passes his minute man.
Sizzling on the heels of Arndt, Rigoberto Urán units one other new quickest time on the first intermediate time verify, with a time of seven.38. The Colombian is flying.
Nikias Arndt arrives on the end – regardless of a powerful exhibiting on the first intermediate cut up he fades within the latter half of the course and finishes in provisional eighth place.
Subsequent to chip away time on the first intermediate is Alex Aranburu (Movistar). He takes 5 seconds off the time of Urán.
No sooner has Aranburu damaged by way of the report on the first intermediate time verify than Mattia Cattaneo (Soudal-QuickStep) takes one other 7 seconds from the time. This time trial is absolutely beginning to warmth up.
Mirroring the run of Nikias Arndt, so too Rigoberto Urán fades within the second half of the course, ending in provisional tenth place regardless of a very robust begin.
Mattia Cattaneo pushes his compatriot shut however just isn’t capable of oust him from the new seat. The Italian rider for Soudal QuickStep is simply the second rider to go below 14.00.
Swiss rider Gino Mäder (Bahrain-Victorious) units out on the right track – he’ll hope for a powerful week in entrance of his dwelling crowds.
Ineos Grenadiers’ 21-year-old Ben Tulett is out on the right track, and units the second quickest intermediate time. The British rider just lately received his first GC on the Tour of Norway and is clearly in good type. He will probably be hoping for a powerful total efficiency on the race this week.
The backdrop to at the moment’s stage is really beautiful. The riders cross the Sihlsee lake by way of a bridge, earlier than using alongside the lake shore to the north heading again to Einsiedeln, previous rolling inexperienced fields with mountains within the background. A superb commercial for the realm, which lies simply south of Zürich.
Ben Tulett’s places in a strong efficiency, however it’s not ok to problem the long-term chief Matteo Sobrero. The Brit finishes in a time of 14.15, to place him in provisional thirteenth place.
With all of the strongest time triallists nonetheless to take to the beginning, the strain is constructing on stage 1 of the Tour de Suisse, as we enter the ultimate hour of the day.
Magnus Sheffield (Ineos Grenadiers) heads down the beginning ramp. The American is a powerful time triallist and has an opportunity to set an excellent time right here.
The winner of at the moment’s stage may even be the primary wearer of the yellow chief’s jersey, that means that their crew will probably be anticipated to take management of the tempo in tomorrow’s stage.
On the playing cards tomorrow, a rolling stage that appears prone to finish in a bunch dash end.
Younger Belgian Cian Uijtdebroeks can be out on the right track now. The rider for Bora-hansgrohe could possibly be in with an opportunity of a superb GC ending place this week. he most just lately completed sixth on the Tour de Romandie.
UAE Group Emirates’ Finn Fisher Black comes into the end very near the time of Matteo Sobrero. He ending in 14.06 and goes into provisional third place.
In the meantime Magnus Sheffield passes by way of the primary time verify and units a brand new quickest time. Nonetheless earlier than Sheffield, the riders with the highest 5 occasions on the intermediate time verify all completed slower than Matteo Sobrero – can Sheffield keep his velocity to interchange the Italian within the scorching seat?
Magnus Sheffield of Ineos Grenadiers goes 9 seconds quicker than Matteo Sobrero to set the brand new quickest time of 13.42. A superb experience from the American.
If Sheffield have been to carry on for the stage win at the moment, it could be his first victory in nearly 300 days. His most up-to-date win previous to at the moment was additionally in a time trial, finally 12 months’s Tour of Denmark.
Riders at the moment out on the right track embrace Group Jumbo-Visma’s Wilco Kelderman, Soudal-QuickStep’s Kasper Asgreen, and Alpecin-Deceuninck’s Soren Kragh Andersen.
A superb time set by former U23 World Champion Johan Worth Petjersen of Bahrain-Victorious, however he simply misses out on the new seat. His time – 13.48. He strikes into provisional second place.
Australian nationwide time trial champion Jay Vine (UAE Group Emirates) is at the moment out on the right track. He’ll hope to problem for the stage win at the moment.
Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) in full stream earlier on in at the moment’s particular person time trial.
Jay Vine goes by way of the primary intermediate time verify third quickest, 9 seconds down on the time of Sheffield.
Vine is considered one of 11 riders from Australia on the beginning checklist in Switzerland. There are 12 riders from the house nation current on the race this 12 months.
Jay Vine approaches the end line. How will the Australian champion fare?
It is very shut on the end, however Vine can not higher Sheffield’s time. He completes the course in 13.58, and strikes into provisional fifth place.
Two Swiss time trial specialists known as Stefan are actually each out on the right track. How have they stacked up in opposition to the clock to date this 12 months?
EF Training-EasyPost’s Stefan Bissegger has taken on two aggressive particular person time trials in 2023 to date, together with his finest consequence twelfth at Etoiles-de-Besseges, a approach shy of his finest.
Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ) however has received one, on the Volta ao Algarve, and completed 4th and fifth within the current time trials on the Giro d’Italia.
Who will go finest at the moment?
Subsequent out on the right track, two Belgians – Wout van Aert (Group Jumbo-Visma) and Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep). Van Aert has solely competed in a single time trial to date this 12 months, at Tirreno-Adratico, the place he got here forty fifth, ruling himself out of being aggressive on the day.
With 4 huge hitters out on the right track, we are able to count on to see the quickest time on the intermediate time verify to alter palms numerous occasions over the subsequent couple of minutes. Keep tuned and we’ll convey you probably the most up-to-date info because it occurs.
Van Aert is trialling a brand new racing place at the moment, following new UCI guidelines making use of to riders over 1.9m tall.
Stefan Bissegger is off the tempo on the first intermediate time verify, going by way of within the simply the eighth quickest time.
Stefan Küng however is only a second down on Sheffield’s time, and can strain the American’s time on the end if he can keep his velocity.
Alexey Lutsenko of Astana-Qazaqstan units a powerful time, transferring into provisional seventh place.
Wout van Aert units the third quickest time on the intermediate time verify, 5 seconds down on Magnus Sheffield and 4 down on Küng. That is going to be very, very shut.
Subsequent, Remco Evenepoel will give us a sign of the place he sits in relation to the remainder, as he comes as much as the intermediate time verify.
He nestles between the occasions of Küng and Van Aert, 2.5 seconds down on Sheffield who has actually impressed together with his time at the moment.
A great consequence for Bora-Hansgrohe’s Maximilian Schachmann; he finishes in provisional sixth place to set himself up for an honest run on GC this week.
European champion Stefan Bissegger arrives on the end however he cannot higher Magnus Sheffield’s time, ending 8 seconds down in provisional third.
Stefan Küng has completely smashed this. He would be the new quickest rider.
The Swiss goes by way of the end 11 seconds quicker than Magnus Sheffield, to take over the new seat. A extremely spectacular efficiency that the 2 Belgians are going to battle to observe.
So usually the nearly-man, it could be an unbelievable consequence for Küng ought to he hold on to take this stage win at the moment.
Van Aert approaches the end and he will not be capable of beat Küng. He finishes strongly, and crosses the road 10 seconds down, transferring into provisional 2nd place as we await the arrival of Evenepoel.
Evenepoel reaches the ultimate kilometre – that is going to extremely shut.
Stefan Küng goes to hold on to the very best time as Evenepoel arrives on the end, 5 seconds down on his time.
There are nonetheless a couple of riders out on the right track, so Küng’s win is not assured fairly but, although all his closest rivals on paper have now completed their rides.
Juan Ayuso (UAE Group Emirates) could problem Küng’s time – he’s out on the course now.
Ayuso is about to reach on the end line, however he will not problem Küng’s time. He strikes into provisional tenth place.
Joel Suter is about to finish the course – the Swiss time trial champion is unlikely to hassle the time of the chief, so Stefan Küng can put together to have a good time a deserved stage win.
Suter won’t beat Küng, and as he arrives on the end line simply behind Daniel Oss of TotalEnergies, the win is confirmed for Stefan Küng of Groupama-FDJ. A superb victory for the house rider in his favoured self-discipline.
He’ll take the yellow leaders’ jersey into stage 2 of the race tomorrow.
Evenepoel and Van Aert spherical out the rostrum.
It is Küng’s third win on the Tour de Suisse. All three stage wins have been particular person time trials – stage 9 in 2018, and stage 1 in 2021. He has a possibility to make it 4 in subsequent Sunday’s time trial, which is simply over double the size of at the moment’s take a look at.
Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ), after at the moment’s stage win:
‘I’ve gone so many occasions actually shut, so it is such a giant aid to win right here in entrance of the house crowd, my household is right here, my spouse and my son.
‘From Giro to the Tour de Suisse was fairly a short while, I did some altitude coaching and I used to be simply working actually, actually onerous, after which I felt actually drained Wednesday and since then I used to be focusing restoration. So I used to be not 100% self-confident however I noticed all my family and friends right here and that for positive gave me some further motivation.
‘I knew I may do nicely however I additionally did not wish to set expectations too excessive, however I at all times go full gasoline and at the moment it labored out as soon as once more.
‘For positive I’ll honour the jersey and go as onerous as I can. For positive I’ll battle for it.’
Tomorrow’s stage 2 will see the riders hit the roads in Beromünster and head to Notwil, on a rolling stage that may function numerous class 3 climbs, and could possibly be one for the breakaway, however is extra prone to finish in a bunch dash.
At the moment’s stage winner Stefan Küng in motion.
Thanks very a lot for becoming a member of us for at the moment’s reside protection – be a part of us once more tomorrow for extra motion from the 2023 Tour de Suisse.
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