Tour de Suisse: BMC Racing win opening team time trial in Frauenfeld
Küng takes first leader's jersey
BMC Racing won the opening stage of the Tour de Suisse, dominating the 18km team time trial with a time of 20:18 and putting local boy Stefan Küng in the yellow leader’s jersey of the race.
Team Sunweb took second on the day, with a time of 20:36, while Quick Step Floors were third at 20:45, just fractions of a second ahead of Bora-Hansgrohe.
The American-registered WorldTour squad were among the pre-race favourites for the stage having brought their ‘A’ team to their sponsor’s home race. GC contender Richie Porte and his super domestique Tejay Van Garderen led the way, while Simon Gerrans, Greg Van Avermaet and Alessandro De Marchi completed the strong line-up along with Küng and fellow Swiss rider Michael Schar.
They duly delivered, flying along the 18km course at over 54km/h and smashing the intermediate checkpoint along the way. Küng, who hails from the town of Wil, just 20km away from Frauenfeld, was first over the line in his home region. The 24-year-old time trialist also takes the young rider’s jersey and the unique ‘best local rider’ prize.
After just one day and 18km of racing, the result sees Porte installed as the overall favourite. Only two summit finishes feature on a route that looks softer than in previous instalments, while a final day 35km time trial will be very much to his liking.
As for the riders who will be looking to beat the Australian, Wilco Kelderman and Sam Oomen (Team Sunweb) lie 19 seconds back with Nairo Quintana and Mikel Landa (Movistar) 33 seconds down. Gorka and Ion Izagirre (Bahrain-Merida) are 36 seconds down, while defending champion Simon Spilak (Katusha-Alpecin) has his work cut out, lying 46 seconds back.
How it happened
The 2018 Tour de Suisse opened with a team time trial around the northeastern town of Frauenfeld. At 18km and with rolling roads in the first half of the stage, the test was the first sort-out of a race heavier on time trials and lighter on mountains than in recent years.
UAE-Team Emirates were the early pacemakers, putting in a time of 21:08 as the fourth team home. Team Sky came next, failing to best the UAE squad. It was something of a surprise given their pedigree in the discipline but less so given that much of their Tour de France squad is currently competing at the Critérium du Dauphiné.
LottoNL-Jumbo, EF-Drapac and Dimension Data also failed to beat UAE Team Emirates but then came Quick Step Floors with the fastest time at the intermediate checkpoint despite dropping riders along the way. The Belgian team eventually crossed the line at 20:45 - putting them at the top of the leader board.
Movistar - a traditionally strong outfit in this discipline despite their relative lack of solo time trial stars, set the second fastest time soon after. The Spanish team, featuring both Nairo Quintana and Mikel Landa but not a recently ill Alejandro Valverde, clocked in at 20:51.
Peter Sagan’s Bora-Hansgrohe team flew through the intermediate only five seconds down and came the closest to Quick Step Floors at the line, ending up just fractions of a second away from the hot seat. As stage favourites Mitchelton-Scott and BMC Racing set off, Bahrain-Merida were the next team to break the 21-minute barrier, serving up an impressive time of 20:54.
World team time trial champions Team Sunweb went out fast, and were down to four riders before the halfway point. They were fastest at the checkpoint but struggled to keep their quartet together on the latter half of the stage but still held on to set a new fastest time at 20:37.
It was then Mitchelton-Scott’s turn to finish, coming in at 20:47. Out on course, BMC Racing was going even faster, taking eight seconds off Sunweb’s checkpoint time.
At the finish they decimated the time of the German squad, leaving Katusha-Alpecin to finish last and round off the proceedings with a time of 21:04.
Küng was happy to take the yellow jersey and will no doubt wear it with pride during Sunday’s 155km stage around Frauenfeld.
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Full Results
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | BMC Racing Team | 0:20:18 |
2 | Team Sunweb | 0:00:20 |
3 | Quick-Step Floors | 0:00:27 |
4 | Bora-Hansgrohe | |
5 | Mitchelton-Scott | 0:00:29 |
6 | Movistar Team | 0:00:33 |
7 | Bahrain-Merida | 0:00:36 |
8 | Groupama-FDJ | 0:00:45 |
9 | Katusha-Alpecin | 0:00:46 |
10 | UAE Team Emirates | 0:00:50 |
11 | LottoNl-Jumbo | 0:00:53 |
12 | Lotto Soudal | 0:00:58 |
13 | Trek-Segafredo | |
14 | Team Sky | 0:01:02 |
15 | EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale | 0:01:05 |
16 | AG2R La Mondiale | 0:01:07 |
17 | Dimension Data | 0:01:10 |
18 | Direct Energie | 0:01:16 |
19 | Aqua Blue Sport | |
20 | Astana Pro Team | 0:01:18 |
21 | Nippo-Vini Fantini-Europa Ovini | 0:02:01 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Stefan Küng (Swi) BMC Racing Team | 0:20:18 |
2 | Richie Porte (Aus) BMC Racing Team | |
3 | Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team | |
4 | Tejay van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing Team | |
5 | Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Team Sunweb | 0:00:20 |
6 | Sam Oomen (Ned) Team Sunweb | |
7 | Søren Kragh Andersen (Den) Team Sunweb | |
8 | Michael Matthews (Aus) Team Sunweb | |
9 | Simon Gerrans (Aus) BMC Racing Team | 0:00:25 |
10 | Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Quick-Step Floors | 0:00:27 |
11 | Yves Lampaert (Bel) Quick-Step Floors | |
12 | Maximiliano Richeze (Arg) Quick-Step Floors | |
13 | Enric Mas (Spa) Quick-Step Floors | |
14 | Gregor Mühlberger (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe | |
15 | Peter Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe | |
16 | Patrick Konrad (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe | |
17 | Marcus Burghardt (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe | |
18 | Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Bora-Hansgrohe | |
19 | Cameron Meyer (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott | 0:00:29 |
20 | Christopher Juul Jensen (Den) Mitchelton-Scott | |
21 | Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Mitchelton-Scott | |
22 | Jack Haig (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott | |
23 | Michael Albasini (Swi) Mitchelton-Scott | |
24 | Andrey Amador (CRc) Movistar Team | 0:00:33 |
25 | Nelson Oliveira (Por) Movistar Team | |
26 | Victor De La Parte (Spa) Movistar Team | |
27 | Mikel Landa (Spa) Movistar Team | |
28 | Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar Team | |
29 | Ion Izagirre (Spa) Bahrain-Merida | 0:00:36 |
30 | Kristijan Koren (Slo) Bahrain-Merida | |
31 | Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Bahrain-Merida | |
32 | Hermann Pernsteiner (Aut) Bahrain-Merida | |
33 | Mark Padun (Ukr) Bahrain-Merida | |
34 | Arnaud Demare (Fra) Groupama-FDJ | 0:00:45 |
35 | Arthur Vichot (Fra) Groupama-FDJ | |
36 | Ramon Sinkeldam (Ned) Groupama-FDJ | |
37 | Davide Cimolai (Ita) Groupama-FDJ | |
38 | Reto Hollenstein (Swi) Katusha-Alpecin | 0:00:46 |
39 | Willie Smit (RSA) Katusha-Alpecin | |
40 | Steff Cras (Bel) Katusha-Alpecin | |
41 | Simon Spilak (Slo) Katusha-Alpecin | |
42 | Nathan Haas (Aus) Katusha-Alpecin | |
43 | José Gonçalves (Por) Katusha-Alpecin | |
44 | Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Bahrain-Merida | 0:00:49 |
45 | José Joaquin Rojas (Spa) Movistar Team | |
46 | Diego Ulissi (Ita) UAE Team Emirates | 0:00:50 |
47 | Jan Polanc (Slo) UAE Team Emirates | |
48 | Alexander Kristoff (Nor) UAE Team Emirates | |
49 | Filippo Ganna (Ita) UAE Team Emirates | |
50 | Enrico Battaglin (Ita) LottoNL-Jumbo | 0:00:53 |
51 | Thomas Leezer (Ned) LottoNL-Jumbo | |
52 | Koen Bouwmam (Ned) LottoNL-Jumbo | |
53 | Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) LottoNL-Jumbo | |
54 | Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek-Segafredo | 0:00:58 |
55 | John Degenkolb (Ger) Trek-Segafredo | |
56 | Julien Bernard (Fra) Trek-Segafredo | |
57 | Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek-Segafredo | |
58 | Tim Wellens (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
59 | Bjorg Lambrecht (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
60 | Jasper De Buyst (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
61 | Maxime Monfort (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
62 | Juraj Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe | 0:00:59 |
63 | Owain Doull (GBr) Team Sky | 0:01:02 |
64 | Kristoffer Halvorsen (Nor) Team Sky | |
65 | Diego Rosa (Ita) Team Sky | |
66 | Pavel Sivakov (Rus) Team Sky | |
67 | Sebastian Henao (Col) Team Sky | |
68 | Hugh Carthy (GBr) EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale | 0:01:05 |
69 | Sep Vanmarcke (Bel) EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale | |
70 | Taylor Phinney (USA) EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale | |
71 | Joe Dombrowski (USA) EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale | |
72 | William Clarke (Aus) EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale | |
73 | Ben Gastauer (Lux) AG2R La Mondiale | 0:01:07 |
74 | Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) AG2R La Mondiale | |
75 | Mathias Frank (Swi) AG2R La Mondiale | |
76 | Nans Peters (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
77 | Cyril Gautier (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
78 | François Bidard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
79 | Ian Stannard (GBr) Team Sky | |
80 | Oliviero Troia (Ita) UAE Team Emirates | 0:01:08 |
81 | Maurits Lammertink (Ned) Katusha-Alpecin | 0:01:10 |
82 | Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) Dimension Data | |
83 | Scott Davies (GBr) Dimension Data | |
84 | Julien Vermote (Bel) Dimension Data | |
85 | Merhawi Kudus (Eri) Dimension Data | |
86 | Tom-Jelte Slagter (Ned) Dimension Data | |
87 | Igor Anton (Spa) Dimension Data | |
88 | André Greipel (Ger) Lotto Soudal | |
89 | Benoit Vaugrenard (Fra) Groupama-FDJ | 0:01:12 |
90 | Nicolas Dougall (RSA) Dimension Data | 0:01:15 |
91 | Thomas Boudat (Fra) Direct Energie | 0:01:16 |
92 | Lilian Calmejane (Fra) Direct Energie | |
93 | Paul Ourselin (Fra) Direct Energie | |
94 | Rein Taaramäe (Est) Direct Energie | |
95 | Romain Sicard (Fra) Direct Energie | |
96 | Lawrence Warbasse (USA) Aqua Blue Sport | |
97 | Mark Christian (GBr) Aqua Blue Sport | |
98 | Stefan Denifl (Aut) Aqua Blue Sport | |
99 | Edward Dunbar (Irl) Aqua Blue Sport | |
100 | Peter Koning (Ned) Aqua Blue Sport | 0:01:18 |
101 | Tanel Kangert (Est) Astana Pro Team | |
102 | Magnus Cort (Den) Astana Pro Team | |
103 | Oscar Gatto (Ita) Astana Pro Team | |
104 | Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Astana Pro Team | |
105 | Silvan Dillier (Swi) AG2R La Mondiale | 0:01:20 |
106 | Daniel Pearson (GBr) Aqua Blue Sport | 0:01:22 |
107 | Daniele Bennati (Ita) Movistar Team | 0:01:23 |
108 | Tim Declercq (Bel) Quick-Step Floors | 0:01:43 |
109 | Michael Schär (Swi) BMC Racing Team | 0:01:44 |
110 | Jacopo Guarnieri (Ita) Groupama-FDJ | 0:01:55 |
111 | Alessandro De Marchi (Ita) BMC Racing Team | 0:02:00 |
112 | Alan Marangoni (Ita) Nippo-Vini Fantini-Europa Ovini | 0:02:01 |
113 | Masakazu Ito (Jpn) Nippo-Vini Fantini-Europa Ovini | |
114 | Ivan Santaromita (Ita) Nippo-Vini Fantini-Europa Ovini | |
115 | Filippo Zaccanti (Ita) Nippo-Vini Fantini-Europa Ovini | |
116 | Michael Gogl (Aut) Trek-Segafredo | 0:02:06 |
117 | Olivier Le Gac (Fra) Groupama-FDJ | 0:02:18 |
118 | Iljo Keisse (Bel) Quick-Step Floors | 0:02:21 |
119 | Fernando Gaviria (Col) Quick-Step Floors | |
120 | Maarten Wynants (Bel) LottoNL-Jumbo | 0:02:25 |
121 | Michael Hepburn (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott | 0:02:27 |
122 | Gorka Izagirre (Spa) Bahrain-Merida | 0:02:31 |
123 | Sho Hatsuyama (Jpn) Nippo-Vini Fantini-Europa Ovini | 0:02:40 |
124 | Daniel Oss (Ita) Bora-Hansgrohe | 0:02:41 |
125 | Michal Golas (Pol) Team Sky | |
126 | Ben Swift (GBr) UAE Team Emirates | 0:02:42 |
127 | Damiano Cunego (Ita) Nippo-Vini Fantini-Europa Ovini | 0:02:52 |
128 | Eduard Michael Grosu (Rom) Nippo-Vini Fantini-Europa Ovini | |
129 | Koen de Kort (Ned) Trek-Segafredo | 0:02:53 |
130 | Perrig Quemeneur (Fra) Direct Energie | 0:03:04 |
131 | Fabien Grellier (Fra) Direct Energie | |
132 | Edward Theuns (Bel) Team Sunweb | 0:03:05 |
133 | Simon Geschke (Ger) Team Sunweb | |
134 | Nikias Arndt (Ger) Team Sunweb | |
135 | Bert-Jan Lindeman (Ned) LottoNL-Jumbo | 0:03:17 |
136 | Matti Breschel (Den) EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale | 0:03:20 |
137 | Nathan Brown (USA) EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale | |
138 | Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Lotto Soudal | 0:03:23 |
139 | Bram Tankink (Ned) LottoNL-Jumbo | 0:03:27 |
140 | Omar Fraile (Spa) Astana Pro Team | 0:03:29 |
141 | Dmitriy Gruzdev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team | |
142 | Jesper Hansen (Den) Astana Pro Team | |
143 | Adam Hansen (Aus) Lotto Soudal | 0:03:43 |
144 | Gregory Rast (Swi) Trek-Segafredo | 0:03:49 |
145 | Roberto Ferrari (Ita) UAE Team Emirates | 0:03:53 |
146 | Calvin Watson (Aus) Aqua Blue Sport | 0:04:33 |
147 | Sam Bewley (NZl) Mitchelton-Scott | 0:05:06 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Stefan Küng (Swi) BMC Racing Team | 0:20:18 |
2 | Sam Oomen (Ned) Team Sunweb | 0:00:20 |
3 | Søren Kragh Andersen (Den) Team Sunweb | |
4 | Enric Mas (Spa) Quick-Step Floors | 0:00:27 |
5 | Gregor Mühlberger (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe | |
6 | Jack Haig (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott | 0:00:29 |
7 | Mark Padun (Ukr) Bahrain-Merida | 0:00:36 |
8 | Steff Cras (Bel) Katusha-Alpecin | 0:00:46 |
9 | Filippo Ganna (Ita) UAE Team Emirates | 0:00:50 |
10 | Koen Bouwmam (Ned) LottoNL-Jumbo | 0:00:53 |
11 | Bjorg Lambrecht (Bel) Lotto Soudal | 0:00:58 |
12 | Jasper De Buyst (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
13 | Owain Doull (GBr) Team Sky | 0:01:02 |
14 | Kristoffer Halvorsen (Nor) Team Sky | |
15 | Pavel Sivakov (Rus) Team Sky | |
16 | Sebastian Henao (Col) Team Sky | |
17 | Hugh Carthy (GBr) EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale | 0:01:05 |
18 | Nans Peters (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | 0:01:07 |
19 | Oliviero Troia (Ita) UAE Team Emirates | 0:01:08 |
20 | Scott Davies (GBr) Dimension Data | 0:01:10 |
21 | Merhawi Kudus (Eri) Dimension Data | |
22 | Thomas Boudat (Fra) Direct Energie | 0:01:16 |
23 | Paul Ourselin (Fra) Direct Energie | |
24 | Edward Dunbar (Irl) Aqua Blue Sport | |
25 | Magnus Cort (Den) Astana Pro Team | 0:01:18 |
26 | Daniel Pearson (GBr) Aqua Blue Sport | 0:01:22 |
27 | Filippo Zaccanti (Ita) Nippo-Vini Fantini-Europa Ovini | 0:02:01 |
28 | Michael Gogl (Aut) Trek-Segafredo | 0:02:06 |
29 | Olivier Le Gac (Fra) Groupama-FDJ | 0:02:18 |
30 | Fernando Gaviria (Col) Quick-Step Floors | 0:02:21 |
31 | Fabien Grellier (Fra) Direct Energie | 0:03:04 |
32 | Calvin Watson (Aus) Aqua Blue Sport | 0:04:33 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Bmc Racing Team | 0:20:18 |
2 | Team Sunweb | 0:00:20 |
3 | Quick Step Floors | 0:00:27 |
4 | Bora - Hansgrohe | |
5 | Mitchelton - Scott | 0:00:29 |
6 | Movistar Team | 0:00:33 |
7 | Bahrain - Merida | 0:00:36 |
8 | Groupama - Fdj | 0:00:45 |
9 | Team Katusha Alpecin | 0:00:46 |
10 | Uae Team Emirates | 0:00:50 |
11 | Team Lotto Nl - Jumbo | 0:00:53 |
12 | Trek - Segafredo | 0:00:58 |
13 | Lotto - Soudal | |
14 | Team Sky | 0:01:02 |
15 | Team EF Education First - Drapac P/B Cannondale | 0:01:05 |
16 | Ag2r La Mondiale | 0:01:07 |
17 | Team Dimension Data | 0:01:10 |
18 | Direct Energie | 0:01:16 |
19 | Aqua Blue Sport | |
20 | Astana Pro Team | 0:01:18 |
21 | Nippo - Vini Fantini - Europa Ovini | 0:02:01 |
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