Italian Damiano Cunego took another step towards overall victory in the Tour of Switzerland after the sixth stage won by Dutchman Steven Kruijswijk on Thursday. Rabobank rider Kruijswijk, who only started cycling at the age of 16, struck out for home with 2.5 km remaining in the 157.7 km ride beginning in Tobel-Tagerschen and which finished with a brutal 11km climb to Malbun.
A group of leaders containing only a few of the overall victory contenders had pulled away from the rest of the peloton halfway up the climb. And as that group dropped in numbers in the final few kilometres, Kruijswijk made the most of a counter-attack by Cunego — after the Italian had been lured by the Dutchman’s teammate Bauke Mollema — to go off on his own. Despite efforts by American Levi Leipheimer and Cunego to close a small gap in the final kilometre, 24-year-old Kruijswijk soloed over the finish to claim what he called the biggest win of his career.
“It’s great for me but also the team. We spoke this morning about possible tactics and we played it to perfection,” said Kruijswijk. “First Mollema went, then Cunego and that’s when I attacked myself. I knew I had to maintain a good rhythm but I also knew the other guys behind me were suffering.” While Rabobank young guns Mollema and Kruijswijk come to the race in form after competing at the Giro d’Italia, where the latter finished ninth overall, some bigger name riders are still finding theirs.
However few expected two-time Tour de France runner-up Andy Schleck to be dropped only a few kilometres into the climb, the Luxemburger failing to follow a pace which, ironically, was being set by his Leopard teammates.
