Colombian Juan Mauricio Soler got to savour former days of glory when he claimed an impressive win on stage two of the Tour of Switzerland Sunday. Soler timed a final attack to perfection during an exciting finale to come over the finish line 12 secs ahead of Italian Damiano Cunego of Lampre and Luxemburger Frank Schleck, the defending race champion. The Colombian now leads Cunego by 16secs in the overall standings, with Leopard all-rounder Schleck landing in fifth overall a further 15secs adrift as the first major selection of the race was made. From among the pre-race contenders, Andreas Kloden perhaps finished the worst off, the German struggling home with the sprinters’ ‘grupetto’ to sit 71st overall at 10:46.
Despite being in the throes of relaunching a career that has more downs than ups, Soler is dreaming of being in contention for overall victory. “This is a really important victory for me,” said the Colombian, whose last major win came on the 2007 Tour de France when he won the ‘King of the Mountains’ polka dot jersey. “I’ve had problems with my health and some injuries, that’s why I’ve not been at the forefront of things lately. But hopefully I’m on my way back. “I’ve done a six-week training block in Colombia and I’m in great form. It’s going to be tough, but I hope to keep the jersey until the finish.”
