Bernhard Eisel (Francaise des Jeux) (Image credit: AFP)
Francaise des Jeux teamwork pays off for Eisel
Austrian sprinter Bernhard Eisel benefited from some brilliant work by his teammates Baden Cooke and Brad McGee to win the first stage of the Tour de Suisse in Weinfelden. The Francaise des Jeux trio split the peloton on the fast run into the finish in the final kilometres, taking Tom Boonen, Paolo Bettini (Quick.Step) and Peter Wrolich (Gerolsteiner) with them. Despite an attempt by Bettini to preempt the FDJ leadout at 350m to go, Baden Cooke kept his calm and closed the gap, allowing Eisel to take the win ahead of Boonen and Wrolich. Bettini ended fourth, McGee and Cooke were fifth and sixth, and the rest of the peloton came in six seconds behind the leaders.
