The forelast stage of the Tour of Switzerland 2010 was won at the end of the afternoon by Rui Costa (Caisse d'Epargne). The young Portugues rider ended the stage in a solo ride, a few seconds ahead of his team mate José Joaquin Rojas and the Belgian rider Maxime Monfort of the HTC-Columbia team.

The summary of the 8th stage of the 2010 Tour of Switzerland: Wetzikon > Liestal

The forelast stage of the Tour of Switzerland 2010 took place today between Wetzikon and Liestal and on the 172.4 kilometer long route, the 135 remaining riders found four 3rd category climbs: Siglistorfer Höhe, Wittnauer Höhe, Wintersinger Höhe and Windenthaler Höhe.

Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Team Sky), Alexandre Moos (BMC Racing Team) and Philip Deignan (Cervélo TestTeam) didn't start this morning. Kim Kirchen (Katusha Team) was taken to the hospital of Zürich yesterday night following heart problems. According to the directeur sportif of the team, Serge Parsani, : He didn't feel well, the doctor sent him to the hospital. He already had a problem two or three months ago.

After several unsuccessful attempts and about 30 kilometers in the race, a leading group of 9 riders was formed by Tom Danielson (Garmin-Transitions), Alessandro Vanotti (Liquigas-Doimo), Maxime Monfort (HTC-Columbia), Rui Costa and José Joaquin Rojas (photo) (Caisse d'Epargne), Gregory Rast (Team Radioshack), Sandy Casar (Française des Jeux), Lars Petter Nordhaug (Team Sky) and Gerald Ciolek (Team Milram).
First chased by Amets Txurruka (Euskaltel-Euskadi, Juan Manuel Garate (Rabobank and Eduard Vorganov (Katusha Team), the leading groupe progressively extends its gap on the peloton.

At the top of the first climb of the day, the American rider Tom Danielson (photo) takes the biggest number of points, followed by Rojas and the best placed rider in the general classification of this leading group, Maxime Monfort. About 60 kilometers further, Gregory Rast arrives first on top of the second climb.

In the forelast climb of the day, the Belgian rider Maxime Monfort (photo) decides to attack and he is followed by José Joaquin Rojas and Tom Danielson. A bit later they again get company from Lars Petter Nordhaug, Alessandro Vanotti and Rui Costa. Monfort arrives first on top anyway and when Gerald Ciolek is taken back by the peloton, the group has a 3'02" gap on the peloton. In this leading group several attacks follow, just like at the head of the peloton. A leading duo is than formed by José Joaquin Rojas and Sandy Casar.

When the leading group gets back together and Rui Costa (photo) attacks, followeda bit further by his team mate José Joaquin Rojas and Maxime Monfort, Stijn Devolder (Quick Step) attacks at the head of the peloton and Robert Gesink (Rabobank) gives all he can to reduce the gap with Monfort, his main competitor in the lead of the race.
Of course Rojas doesn't help Monfort at all and Rui Costa thus progressively increases his gap on this chasing duo. The Portugues rider of the Caisse d'Epargne team thus wins the stage, 15 seconds ahead of his team mate José Joaquin Rojas and 19 seconds on Maxime Monfort (HTC-Columbia). Sandy Casar takes the 4th place at 34 seconds while the leader of the general classification, Robert Gesink (HTC-Columbia), finishes 10th at 1'16".

After the finish, Rui Costa indicated he dedicated this stage victory to Arnaud Coyot who was one of the main victims of the massive fall at the end of the 4th stage and to Alejandro Valverde who got suspended a few weeks before the Tour of Switzerland.

12 riders gave up during this stage: Simon Spilak (Lampre-Farnese Vini), Mikhaylo Khalilov and Alexandre Pliuschin for Katusha Team, Maxim Iglinskiy (Astana), Hayden Roulston (HTC-Columbia), Angelo Furlan (Lampre-Farnese Vini), Daniel Sesma (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Simon Gerrans (Team Sky), Brice Feillu (Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team), Gerald Ciolek and Peter Wrolich for Team Milram and Yauheni Hutarovich (Française des Jeux). 123 riders are still in the race for tomorrow's individual time trial with start and finish in Liestal.

The classifications of the 2010 Tour of Switzerland after the 8th stage

Classification of the 8th stage, Wetzikon > Liestal

The winner of the 2009 4 Jours de Dunkerque thus takes his first stage victory in the Tour of Switzerland:

1/ Rui Alberto Faria Da Costa (Caisse d'Epargne) - 4h10'32" (41,288 km/h)
2/ José Joaquin Rojas (Caisse d'Epargne) - +0'15"
3/ Maxime Monfort (HTC-Columbia) - +0'19"
4/ Sandy Casar (Française des Jeux) - +0'34"
5/ Alessandro Vanotti (Liquigas-Doimo)
6/ Lars Petter Nordhaug (Team Sky)
7/ Tom Danielson (Garmin-Transitions) - +0'39"
8/ Daniele Pietropolli (Lampre-Farnese Vini) - +1'14"
9/ Thor Hushovd (Cervélo TestTeam) - +1'16"
10/ Robert Gesink (Rabobank)

General classification

The night before the decisive individual time trial of this Tour of Switzerland 2010 the time differences in the top 10 of the general classification are quite small.

1/ Robert Gesink (Rabobank) - 34h27'47"
2/ Rigoberto Uran (Caisse d'Epargne) - +0'29"
3/ Steve Morabito (BMC Racing Team) - +0'36"
4/ Fränk Schleck (Team Saxo Bank) - +0'38"
5/ Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha Team) - +0'42"
6/ Matteo Carrara (Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team) - +0'54"
7/ Lance Armstrong (Team Radioshack) - +0'55"
8/ Oliver Zaugg (Liquigas-Doimo) - +1'01"
9/ Jakob Fuglsang (Team Saxo Bank) - +1'17"
10/ Thomas Löfkvist (Team Sky) - +1'38"

Classification by points

Thanks to his 2 stage victories, Marcus Burghardt (BMC Racing Team) is still leading the classification by points, now ex aequo with José Joaquin Rojas (Caisse d'Epargne) with 50 points:

1/ Marcus Burghardt (BMC Racing Team) - 50 points
2/ José Joaquin Rojas (Caisse d'Epargne) - 50 points
3/ Marco Marcato (Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team) - 43 points
4/ Oscar Freire (Rabobank) - 33 points
5/ Matti Breschel (Team Saxo Bank) - 28 points

King of the Mountains classification

The young Mathias Frank now definitely wins the King of the Mountains classification:

1/ Mathias Frank (BMC Racing Team) - 49 points
2/ Wouter Poels (Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team) - 40 points
3/ Robert Gesink (Rabobank) - 21 points
4/ Aitor Hernandez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) - 19 points
5/ Marcus Burghardt (BMC Racing Team) - 18 points

door Thomas Vergouwen
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this publication is published in: Tour of Switzerland | Tour of Switzerland 2010 | UCI ProTour

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