tour de Suisse Archives

Yesterday (June 14) saw an impressive win for Vladimir Isaychev � the first of his pro career for the Team Katyusha rider � on the fifth stage of the Tour de Suisse. The 28-year-old Russian from Samara secured his win across the 192.7km stage from Olten to Gansingen with an epic final sprint between six riders that ultimately saw victor for Isaychev and forced Ruben Perez (Euskaltel) into second and Team Sky�s Salvatore Puccio into third. Speaking post-race a clearly jubilant Isaychev commented, �I felt in a great shape during the whole stage, and my motivations were high because I knew that, in a sprint against the riders which were in the breakaway with me, I was the favourite. And, in fact, I managed to win quite easily. Really, it was a great day for me: I’ve always imagined my first victory in pro races, but I would have never thought of such a great win.�

The Tour de Suisse concludes on Sunday, June 17.

The Movistar Team have announced significant improvements in the health of star rider Juan Mauricio Soler, with the news that doctors are reducing his medication and no longer consider his condition to be life-threatening. The 28-year-old Columbian pro was seriously injured in a fall in the village of Gloten, 11 km into the sixth stage of the Tour de Suisse on Thursday June 16 � he suffered multiple fractures, but, more seriously, the crash left him with a significant bleed on the brain. He is being treated at the Hospital St. Gallen in Switzerland, from where Team doctor Alfredo Z��iga has reported: �He has begun to make light movements and tests seem to rule out spinal injury, although we should be aware of further studies. Now we have to see the evolution of a possible neurological damage.�

The accident came hard on the heels of the tragic loss of Movistar�s great Catalan rider Xavier Tondo who was killed after a freak accident in his garage on May 23; which in turn came only weeks after the death of Belgium�s Wouter Weylandt during the Giro d�Italia.