Belgian Philippe Gilbert began the summer as he finished off the spring with victory in the first stage of the Tour of Switzerland on Sunday.

Having won two one-day classics during the spring, Gilbert added a Swiss stage victory by edging a sprint finish to the 172.2km stage as Swiss Stefan Kueng took the leader’s yellow jersey off Australian BMC team-mate Rohan Dennis.

New Zealand’s Patrick Bevin took second ahead of Anthony Roux of France on the hilly stage that ended in Cham.

Australia’s Michael Matthews is now second overall at one second off Kueng, with Giro d’Italia winner Tom Dumoulin of the Netherlands third on the same time.

Dennis, who won Saturday’s opening prologue, crashed 25km from the finish and was unable to chase back onto the peloton, relinquishing his lead at the finish.

Monday’s second stage should favour a sprint finish again at the end of a 159.3km run to Bern.

 

Results and standings from the 172.7km second stage of the Tour of Switzerland around Cham on Sunday:

1. Philippe Gilbert (BEL/QST) 4hr 22min 36sec, 2. Patrick Bevin (NZL/CAN) same time, 3. Anthony Roux (FRA/FDJ) s.t., 4. Michael Albasini (SWI/ORI) s.t., 5. Matteo Trentin (ITA/QST) s.t., 6. Marcus Burghardt (GER/BOR) s.t., 7. Niccolò Bonifazio (ITA/BAH) s.t., 8. Peter Sagan (SVK/BOR) s.t., 9. Valerio Conti (ITA/EAU) s.t., 10. Michael Matthews (AUS/SUN) s.t.

Overall standings

1. Stefan Kueng (SWI/BMC) 4hr 29min 08sec, 2. Michael Matthews (AUS/SUN) at 1sec, 3. Tom Dumoulin (NED/SUN) s.t., 4. Lars Boom (NED/LNL) 4, 5. Peter Sagan (SVK/BOR) 8, 6. Damiano Caruso (ITA/BMC) 10, 7. Michael Albasini (SWI/ORI) 11, 8. Hugo Houle (CAN/ALM) 12, 9. Patrick Bevin (NZL/CAN) 13, 10. Matteo Trentin (ITA/QST) 14

– Agence France-Presse

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