Races Road Kirchen grabs stage win and yellow jersey By Cycling News published 19 June 2008 Second overall last year, Kim Kirchen showed he is well in contention to take the final victory in... Comments Race Home Stages Stage 1 146km | Langnau I.E. - Langnau I.E. Stage 2 197km | Langnau I.E. - Flumserberge Stage 3 155km | Flums - Gossau SG Stage 4 171km | Gossau SG - Domat-Ems Stage 5 190km | Domat-Ems - Caslano Stage 6 188km | Ambri - Verbier Stage 7 171km | Gruyères - Lyss Stage 8 25km | Altdorf - Col du Klausen (ITT) Stage 9 168km | Altdorf - Berne View all Stages Race history Start list Image 1 of 92Luxembourg's Kim Kirchen (High Road), 29, wins on the Verbier and takes the overall lead from Igor Antón (Euskaltel-Euskadi) in the process.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Igor Antón (Euskaltel-Euskadi) lost(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Enjoying the moment: Kim Kirchen (High Road)(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Stijn Devolder (Quick Step) gave a good run(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)The riders make their way up(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Philip Deignan (AG2R La Mondiale) leads(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Bouygues Telecom signs in.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Bouygues Telecom presented.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Rubens Bertogliati (Saunier Duval-Scott) at the start.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Saunier Duval signs in.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Team Saunier Duval-Prodir presented.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Ángel Gómez Gómez (Saunier Duval-Scott) with his teammates.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Pablo Lastras (Caisse d'Epargne)(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Frédéric Guesdon (Française des Jeux) gives a hand.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Ready to roll.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)José Rujano (Caisse d'Epargne)(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Alexandre Botcharov (Crédit Agricole)(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Erik Zabel (Team Milram)(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Erik Zabel (Team Milram) with Vicente Reynes (High Road) (r-l)(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Marcus Zberg (Gerolsteiner)(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Marcus Zberg (Gerolsteiner) pleases the crowd.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Marcus Zberg (Gerolsteiner)(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Jérôme Pineau (Bouygues Telecom) (l) relaxes(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Xabier Zandio (Caisse d'Epargne)(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Michael Albasini (Liquigas) on stage.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Igor Antón (Euskaltel-Euskadi) heads to sign-in.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Igor Antón (Euskaltel-Euskadi) signs in.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Race leader Igor Antón (Euskaltel-Euskadi) with his mates.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)A friendly Igor Antón (Euskaltel-Euskadi)(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Spain's Igor Antón (Euskaltel-Euskadi) was to lose the race lead by the end of the day.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Damiano Cunego (Lampre) interviewed.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Philip Deignan (AG2R La Mondiale) and Martin Elmiger (AG2R La Mondiale) (r-l)(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Riders relaxed at the start.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Fränk Schleck (Team CSC) interviewed.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Luxembourg's Fränk Schleck (Team CSC) with Thomas Dekker (Rabobank).(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Fränk Schleck (Team CSC) explains his crash to Thomas Dekker (Rabobank).(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Fränk Schleck (Team CSC) all smiles and happy to start the day.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Fränk Schleck (Team CSC) gestures and describe his crash to Thomas Dekker (Rabobank).(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Fränk Schleck (Team CSC), 28, at the start.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Fränk Schleck (Team CSC) the morning after his serious-looking crash talks to Thomas Dekker (Rabobank).(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)This way! Fränk Schleck (Team CSC) explains his crash to Thomas Dekker (Rabobank).(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Spaniard Daniel Moreno of Caisse d'Epargne-(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Kim Kirchen (High Road) talks to fellow Luxemburger Fränk Schleck (Team CSC).(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Moien: Fränk Schleck (Team CSC) has a word with Kim Kirchen (High Road).(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Marcus Burghardt (High Road)(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Ready to race.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Euskaltel boys read the Italian sports paper.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Greg Van Avermaet (Silence-Lotto) signs in.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Niki Terpstra (Team Milram) talks with a UCI official.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Niki Terpstra (Team Milram) with a UCI official.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Sylvain Chavanel (Cofidis) signs for a fan.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Stuart O'Grady (Team CSC) with Mark Renshaw (Crédit Agricole) and Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Team CSC) (r-l).(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Gert Steegmans (Quick Step)(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Fans gathered.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Five minutes until the start...(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)The riders make their way up the 2479-metre Col du Nufenen.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)David Loosli (Lampre)(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Giovanni Visconti (Quick Step) climbing up the 2479-metre Col du Nufenen.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)The riders going up the 2479-metre Col du Nufenen.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Maxim Iglinsky (Astana)(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)José Joaquín Rojas (Caisse d'Epargne) rides in the 11-man escape group.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Philip Deignan (AG2R La Mondiale) leads Jens Voigt (Team CSC), Johann Tschopp (Bouygues Telecom) and Mathias Frank (Gerolsteiner).(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Andreas Dietziker (Team Volksbank)(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Kim Kirchen (High Road) trying to zip on his way in for the win.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Luxemburger Kim Kirchen (High Road) wins on the Verbier.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Luxembourg's Kim Kirchen (High Road), 29, wins on the Verbier and takes the overall lead from Igor Antón (Euskaltel-Euskadi) in the process.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Kim Kirchen (High Road) enjoys the moment.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Kim Kirchen (High Road) punches the air.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Kim Kirchen (High Road) wins on top of Verbier.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Luxembourg's Kim Kirchen (High Road) wins the day.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Victory for Kim Kirchen (High Road)(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Andreas Klöden (Astana) finishes second.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Stijn Devolder (Quick Step) gave a good run but had to be happy with fifth.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Belgian Champion Stijn Devolder (Quick Step) comes to the line.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Igor Antón (Euskaltel-Euskadi) lost the lead in stage six.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Markus Fothen (Gerolsteiner) rolls in.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Ireland's Philip Deignan (AG2R La Mondiale) finishes after a long day.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)Pablo Lastras (Caisse d'Epargne) conquered the Verbier in 2005.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)