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66th Tour de Suisse- 2.HC
Switzerland, June 18-27, 2002
Prologue - June 18: Luzern-Luzern ITT, 5.7 km
Zülle starts off strongly
By Jeff Jones
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33 year old Swiss star Alex Zülle (Team Coast) has started off the Tour de Suisse in good form, winning the 5.7 kilometre prologue in Luzern. Zülle, considered one of the favourites to win the event, rode the course in 7'37.48 at an average speed of 44.85 km/h, beating early leader Giuseppe Di Grande (Index Alexia) by 5.53 seconds and Laurent Dufaux (Alessio) by 6.83 seconds.
The parcours started and finished at Luzern's Verkehrshaus, home of the Swiss Museum of Transport and Communication amongst other attractions. After 1.3 kilometres, the riders had to climb a short but steep (10%) hill to the Gundoldingenstrasse (2.5 km), followed by a fast, technical descent and 1.7 km of flat to finish. It was not a fast parcours, and the average speeds were between 40 and 45 km/h.
Poland's Domo-Farm Frites rider Piotr Wadecki, coming back from a crash in Tirreno-Adriatico, was impressive on the climb and set what was to be the fastest time of the day for the first 2.5 kilometres (4'02.79). However he did not have a good second half, and faded to finish in 7'55 which put him in 25th position. Index-Alexia's Giuseppe Di Grande was also quick at the 2.5 kilometre mark with 4'03.42, but he put in a much better second half than the Pole to finish in 7'43.01, surprising many of the specialists. Even his more fancied teammate Paolo Savoldelli could only finish in 7'48.38, which was good enough for 7th place.
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As the favourites failed one by one to get past Di Grande's time, Alex Zülle was making his attempt. The winner of the final time trial in the Tour de Romandie this year was 6 seconds slower than Wadecki at 2.5 kilometres, but gave it everything on the descent and in the final kilometres to go past Di Grande's time by 5.5 seconds at the finish.
The Team Coast rider now has the leader's jersey going into tomorrow's first stage from Luzern to Schaffhausen, which doesn't contain any major difficulties and should end in a bunch sprint.
(All rights reserved/Copyright Knapp Communications Pty Limited 2002)
Photography
Images by AFP
- Alex Zulle (Team Coast) on his way to clocking the best time in the prologue of the Tour de Suisse in Luzern
- Alex Zulle on the podium after winning the Tour de Suisse prologue
Andreas Oppliger took these pics around the finish area
- Ivan Basso (Fassa Bortolo) takes a drink
- German devil Didi Senft popped over the border for the Tour de Suisse.
- The finish area in a beautiful lakeside setting
- Sascha Henrix (Coast) close to the finish
- Urs Studer Mayor of Lucerne, Guido Graf head of the local organization board and Margrit Lussi are very satisfied with the prologue in Lucerne
- Young Swiss rider Roman Peter (Oktos) gives an interview
- Swiss former hour record holder Tony Rominger's post-racing career includes being involved with the organisation of his national tour
- Steve Zampieri (Tacconi Sport) warms up
- Someone call the abandoned Telekom TT bike hotline
- Alex Zulle demonstrates his gurning skills for the TV cameras
- Alex Zulle waits on the podium
- Alex Zulle on the podium with the organisers and the mayor
Results
1 Alex Zülle (Swi) Team Coast 7.37.48 (44.85 km/h) 2 Giuseppe Di Grande (Ita) Index Alexia 0.05.53 3 Laurent Dufaux (Swi) Alessio 0.06.83 4 Davide Rebellin (Ita) Gerolsteiner 0.07.08 5 Tobias Steinhauser (Ger) Gerolsteiner 0.07.34 6 Uwe Peschel (Ger) Gerolsteiner 0.10.11 7 Paolo Savoldelli (Ita) Index Alexia 0.10.90 8 Bobby Julich (USA) Team Telekom 0.12.12 9 Francesco Casagrande (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 0.12.28 10 Daniel Schnider (Swi) Phonak Hearing Systems 0.12.87 11 Serguei Ivanov (Rus) Fassa Bortolo 0.12.91 12 Ruslan Ivanov (Mda) Alessio 0.12.94 13 Alexander Vinokourov (Kaz) Team Telekom 0.13.04 14 Steve Zampieri (Swi) Tacconi Sport-Emmegi 0.13.23 15 Alexandre Moos (Swi) Phonak Hearing Systems 0.13.52 16 Gerhard Trampusch (Aut) Mapei-Quick Step 0.14.43 17 Kim Kirchen (Lux) Fassa Bortolo 0.14.60 18 Andrea Noé (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step 0.16.11 19 Martin Elmiger (Swi) Phonak Hearing Systems 0.16.24 20 Rubens Bertogliati (Swi) Lampre-Daikin 0.16.87 21 Georg Totschnig (Aut) Gerolsteiner 0.16.99 22 Robert Hunter (Rsa) Mapei-Quick Step 0.17.15 23 Santos Gonzales (Spa) Acqua & Sapone-Cantina To 0.17.18 24 Massimo Giunti (Ita) Acqua & Sapone-Cantina Tol 0.18.01 25 Piotr Wadecki (Pol) Domo-Farm Frites 0.18.07 26 Reto Bergmann (Swi) Phonak Hearing Systems 0.18.47 27 Olaf Pollack (Ger) Gerolsteiner 0.18.61 28 Fred Rodriguez (USA) Domo-Farm Frites 0.19.05 29 Marco Fertonani (Ita) Phonak Hearing Systems 0.19.10 30 Ronny Scholz (Ger) Gerolsteiner 0.19.32 31 Beat Zberg (Swi) Rabobank 0.19.88 32 Alexandr Shefer (Kaz) Alessio 0.20.97 33 Juan Manuel Garate (Spa) Lampre-Daikin 0.21.03 34 Bekim Christensen (Den) Team Coast 0.21.15 35 Niki Aebersold (Swi) Team Coast 0.21.52 36 Markus Zberg (Swi) Rabobank 0.21.57 37 Miguel Martinez (Fra) Mapei-Quick Step 0.21.72 38 Jean Nuttli (Swi) Saint-Quentin Oktos 0.22.59 39 Gianni Faresin (Ita) Gerolsteiner 0.22.71 40 Tadej Valjavec (Slo) Fassa Bortolo 0.22.77 41 Giuseppe Guerini (Ita) Team Telekom 0.22.95 42 Marc Wauters (Bel) Rabobank 0.22.96 43 Nicolas Fritsch (Fra) La Francaise Des Jeux 0.23.40 44 Christian Charriere (Swi) Phonak Hearing System 0.23.87 45 Sascha Henrix (Ger) Team Coast 0.24.19 46 Bo Hamburger (Den) Index Alexia 0.24.88 47 Rolf Aldag (Ger) Team Telekom 0.25.07 48 Leon Van Bon (Ned) Domo-Farm Frites 0.25.77 49 Frédéric Gabriel (Fra) Saint-Quentin Oktos 0.26.28 50 Christophe Agnolutto (Fra) Ag2R Prevoyance 0.27.01 51 Kyrylo Pospyeyev (Ukr) Acqua & Sapone-Cantina T 0.28.08 52 M. A. Martin Perdiguero (Spa) Acqua & Sapone-Ca 0.28.14 53 Mauro Gianetti (Swi) Team Coast 0.28.25 54 Charles Wegelius (GBr) Mapei-Quick Step 0.28.45 55 Kevin Livingston (USA) Team Telekom 0.28.59 56 Fabio Sacchi (Ita) Saeco-Longoni Sport 0.29.06 57 Marcel Duijn (Ned) Rabobank 0.29.19 58 Daniele Bennati (Ita) Acqua & Sapone-Cantina To 0.29.20 59 Oscar Pozzi (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 0.29.35 60 Geert Verheyen (Bel) Rabobank 0.29.54 61 Gabriele Missaglia (Ita) Lampre-Daikin 0.31.03 62 Rolf Huser (Swi) Team Coast 0.31.11 63 Juan Fuentes Angullo (Spa) Saeco-Longoni Sport 0.31.14 64 Jan Boven (Ned) Rabobank 0.31.25 65 Carlos Dacruz (Fra) La Francaise Des Jeux 0.31.32 66 Pierre Bourquenoud (Swi) Saint-Quentin Oktos 0.31.97 67 Gianluca Bortolami (Ita) Tacconi Sport-Emmegi 0.32.27 68 Karsten Kroon (Ned) Rabobank 0.32.74 69 Christophe Mengin (Fra) La Francaise Des Jeux 0.33.26 70 Salvatore Commesso (Ita) Saeco-Longoni Sport 0.33.41 71 Christophe Rinero (Fra) Saint-Quentin Oktos 0.33.58 72 Andrej Hauptman (Slo) Tacconi Sport-Emmegi 0.33.72 73 Stefano Casagranda (Ita) 0.33.76 74 Enrico Cassani (Ita) Domo-Farm Frites 0.34.53 75 Eddy Lembo (Fra) Saint-Quentin Oktos 0.34.65 76 Raivis Belohvosciks (Lat) Lampre-Daikin 0.35.97 77 Dmitry Gaynitdinov (Rus) Tacconi Sport-Emmegi 0.36.87 78 Federico Giabbecucci (Ita) Acqua & Sapone-Canti 0.37.24 79 Pavel Tonkov (Rus) Lampre-Daikin 0.37.25 80 Daniele Nardello (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step 0.38.56 81 Paolo Lanfranchi (Ita) Index Alexia 0.38.69 82 Arturas Kasputis (Ltu) Ag2R Prevoyance 0.39.15 83 Johan Verstrepen (Bel) Lampre-Daikin 0.39.31 84 Jans Koerts (Ned) Domo-Farm Frites 0.39.58 85 Massimo Donati (Ita) Tacconi Sport-Emmegi 0.39.99 86 Mirko Celestino (Ita) Saeco-Longoni Sport 0.40.24 87 Peter Luttenberger (Aut) Tacconi Sport-Emmegi 0.40.48 88 Kevin Hulsmans (Bel) Mapei-Quick Step 0.40.96 89 Franck Perque (Fra) La Francaise Des Jeux 0.41.43 90 Sven Teutenberg (Ger) Phonak Hearing Systems 0.41.83 91 Laurent Paumier (Fra) Saint-Quentin Oktos 0.42.26 92 Ruben Lobato (Spa) Acqua & Sapone-Cantina Tollo 0.42.44 93 Mariano Piccoli (Ita) Lampre-Daikin 0.42.63 94 Linas Balciunas (Ltu) Ag2R Prevoyance 0.42.67 95 Leif Hoste (Bel) Domo-Farm Frites 0.42.70 96 Steffen Wesemann (Ger) Team Telekom 0.43.04 97 Erik Zabel (Ger) Team Telekom 0.43.73 98 Alessandro Spezialetti (Ita) Saeco-Longoni Spor 0.44.54 99 Jimmy Casper (Fra) La Francaise Des Jeux 0.44.75 100 Raffaele Ferrara (Ita) Alessio 0.45.09 101 Dario Pieri (Ita) Alessio 0.45.20 102 André Korff (Ger) Team Coast 0.45.29 103 Gian Matteo Fagnini (Ita) Team Telekom 0.45.50 104 Jörg Ludewig (Ger) Saeco-Longoni Sport 0.45.63 105 Andy Flickinger (Fra) Ag2R Prevoyance 0.46.41 106 Thorwald Veneberg (Ned) Rabobank 0.46.65 107 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) Saeco-Longoni Sport 0.46.69 108 Gianluca Valoti (Ita) Index Alexia 0.46.79 109 Ivan Basso (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 0.46.80 110 Johan Museeuw (Bel) Domo-Farm Frites 0.47.19 111 Innar Mandoja (Est) Ag2R Prevoyance 0.47.36 112 Matthew Wilson (Aus) La Francaise Des Jeux 0.47.58 113 Marco Zanotti (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 0.48.19 114 Pietro Zucconi (Swi) Tacconi Sport-Emmegi 0.48.31 115 Jaan Kirsipuu (Est) Ag2R Prevoyance 0.49.77 116 Alessandro Guerra (Ita) Index Alexia 0.50.28 117 Thierry Loder (Fra) Ag2R Prevoyance 0.50.49 118 Roman Peter (Swi) Saint-Quentin Oktos 0.50.95 119 Patrick Calcagni (Swi) Tacconi Sport-Emmegi 0.51.15 120 Martin Hvastija (Slo) Alessio 0.51.77 121 Sven Vanthourenhout (Bel) Domo-Farm Frites 0.53.17 122 Luciano Pagliarini (Bra) Lampre-Daikin 0.53.96 123 Marius Sabaliauskas (Ltu) Saeco-Longoni Sport 0.55.05 124 Roger Beuchat (Swi) Phonak Hearing Systems 0.55.09 125 Elio Aggiano (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step 0.55.65 126 Vincent Bader (Swi) Saint-Quentin Oktos 0.56.22 127 Davide Casarotto (Ita) Alessio 0.56.56 128 Augustin Pena (Spa) Acqua & Sapone-Cantina Tol 0.59.04 129 Saulius Ruskys (Ltu) Gerolsteiner 1.01.09 130 Anton Chantyr (Rus) Team Coast 1.02.95 131 Ivan Quaranta (Ita) Index Alexia 1.03.74 132 Franck Pencole (Fra) La Francaise Des Jeux 1.05.24 133 Ludovic Capelle (Bel) Ag2R Prevoyance 1.05.62 134 Jean-Patrick Nazon (Fra) La Francaise Des Jeux 1.14.05 135 Paolo Valoti (Ita) Index Alexia 1.14.65 Points 1 Alex Zülle (Swi) Team Coast 15 pts 2 Giuseppe Di Grande (Ita) Index Alexia 12 3 Laurent Dufaux (Swi) Alessio 10 4 Davide Rebellin (Ita) Gerolsteiner 8 5 Tobias Steinhauser (Ger) Gerolsteiner 7 6 Uwe Peschel (Ger) Gerolsteiner 6 7 Paolo Savoldelli (Ita) Index Alexia 5 8 Bobby Julich (USA) Team Telekom 4 9 Francesco Casagrande (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 3 10 Daniel Schnider (Swi) Phonak Hearing Systems 2 11 Serguei Ivanov (Rus) Fassa Bortolo 1 Teams 1 Gerolsteiner 23.15 2 Fassa Bortolo 0.16 3 Alessio 0.17 4 Index Alexia 0.18 5 Phonak Hearing Systems 0.19 6 Team Coast 7 Mapei-Quick Step 0.23 8 Team Telekom 0.24 9 Acqua & Sapone-Cantina Tollo 0.39 10 Domo-Farm Frites 11 Rabobank 0.41 12 Lampre-Daikin 0.45 13 Tacconi Sport-Emmegi 0.55 14 Saint-Quentin Oktos 0.57 15 La Francaise Des Jeux 1.03 16 Saeco-Longoni Sport 1.09 17 Ag2R Prevoyance 1.25
