Fränk Schleck wins Schwarzenburg

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Fränk Schleck (Saxo Bank) won stage three of the Tour de Suisse with a daring attack in the final kilometres of the 196.6 kilometre stage from Sierre to Schwarzenburg.

Rigoberto Uran (Caisse d'Epargne) and Bauke Mollema (Rabobank) finished second and third, respectively. In the overall classification Fabian Cancellara (Saxo Bank) lost time on the favourites, with tenth-placed stage finisher, Tony Marin (HTC-Columbia) moving into a one-second overall lead.

"Fränk Schleck has been in great shape throughout the spring and now the results really start coming. It was an amazing solo victory in a peloton loaded with strong riders getting ready for the Tour de France and today's finale was very similar to the one he won in Tour de Luxembourg. That Tony Martin takes the jersey is only to our advantage as we now don't have to take responsibility of the field," said Saxo Bank's director Kim Andersen.

Schleck's late attack and second win of the 2010 season came as the remnants of the field hit a punishing 37 kilometre final circuit through Schwarzenburg. Consisting of a third category climb and a final uphill stretch before the line, the course looked more akin to a typically-lumpy Spring Classic.

Shcleck used an attack from Nicholas Roche as his launched pad, finishing a few meters clear of Uran who almost crashed as he tried to chase Schleck in the final 200 meters.

The race kicked into action when three riders attacked in the first 20 kilometres. Alexandre Pliuschin (Katusha), Jussi Veikkanen (Francaise des Jeux) and Ermano Cappeli (Footon-Servetto) broke free and with Saxo Bank unwilling to take up the chase they were left their own devices as they established a comfortable buffer. They had a maximum lead of 15 minutes as they crested the first category climb of the col des Mosses.

However the trio's lead began to drop in the second half of the stage and with 60 kilometres remaining and the bunch finally beginning to wake-up, the gap was down to 8 minutes.

Any chance of the group pulling off rare win were dashed in the next twenty kilometres as Omega Pharma-Lotto began setting the pace, their man Phillipe Gilbert clearly motivated by the tough final circuit.

With 37 kilometres left the field swung onto the finishing circuit, the gap just 2:43. Ahead of them the trio of Pliuschin, Veikkanen and Cappeli began to lose heart, with the Moldovan having the most in reserve as he began to push on alone.

Behind him Saxo Bank, Sky and Caisse d'Epargne began to show themselves on the front and the former U23 winner of the Tour of Flanders was eventually swept up.

There was little respite though as Valeriy Dmitriyev (Astana) attacked. He was swiftly reeled in as a number of GC contenders and Classics specialists began to move at the front. Robert Gesink was one the first big name to play his hand but was countered by Jakob Fulgang, who was more concerned with shadowing the spindly climber in an attempt to keep Cancellara in contention.

Michael Albasini was next on the offensive. Riding his home Tour, Albasini is also a rider on the HTC Tour long-list and he was clearly trying to make an impression, but with so many strong teams on the front he was given no more than 11 second as the bunch completed the first half of the finishing circuit.

In the final 10 kilometres what looked like the winning break formed with Kim Kirchen (Katusha) escaping with Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Caisse d'Epargne), Martin Elmiger (AG2R La Mondiale), Oscar Freire (Rabobank), Alessandro Ballan (BMC Racing Team) and Carlos Barredo (Quick Step).

However with 5 kilometres to go the bunch reformed and lined across the road as they took one final breather. Martin set the pace and succeeded in shredding the field down to just a handful of riders but as the pace slowed Roche swung to the right of the road, slowly gaining a few meters, with Frank Schleck initially unwilling or unable to match the Irishman. Behind them Gilbert cracked and was forced to drop back.

But Roche had gone too soon and as he faded it was Schleck who came past and held on for the win.