Tour de Suisse 2014 Stage 9: Rui Costa takes both stage and overall

The final stage heads in 156,7 kilometres from Martigny to Saas-Fee. Along the way riders crest two category-1 cols and one category-2 col to finish atop a hors catégorie mountain. Climbers Mollema, Frank and Costa attack and the two time trialists in the overall lead lose valuable ground. Defending champion Costa not only wins the tsage, he takes the GC also. (Slideshow route/profile)

Tour de Suisse 2014: Results 9th stage

1. Rui Costa (por)
2. Bauke Mollema (Nld) + 0.14
3. Mathias Frank (Swi) + 0.24
4. Steve Morabito (Swi) + 0.47
5. Oliver Zaugg (Swi) s..t
6. André Cardoso (por) + 1.28
7. Jérémy Roy (fra) + 1.41
8. Danilo Wyss (Swi) + 1.48
9. Tom Dumoulin (Nld) + 2.18
10. Roman Kreuziger (Cze) s.t.

GC after final stage
1. Rui Costa (por)
2. Mathias Frank (Swi) + 0.33
3. Bauke Mollema (Nld) + 0.50
4. Tony Martin (Ger) + 1.13
5. Tom Dumoulin (Nld) + 2.04
6. Steve Morabito (Swi) + 2.47
7. Davide Formolo (ita) + 3.00
8. Roman Kreuziger (Cze) + 3.03
9. Javier Acevedo (col) + 3.20
10. Eros Capecchi (ita) +3.46

Race report
The break away is a big one, with riders of Belkin and I Am Cycling, team of wanne be GC-winners Bauke Mollema and Mathias Frank. Both riders attack on the penultimate climb to Eischoll and are accompanied by defending champion Rui Costa. The gap to leader Tony Martin is small, but when the team mates of Mollema and Frank drop from the break their gain grows fast.

Martin is isolated but he gets help from Dumoulin and his team mates Bargeuil and Preidler. They trie to bridge the gap, at first succeeding but in het end failing. It’s up to the climbers, who are in a 0’36” margin overall!

In Saas-Grund – with 5 kilometres left – Frank puts on speed, and both Mollema and Costa react. Frank does it again and when Costa counters both Mollema and Frank have to pass. The World Champion and defending champion goes on to win the stage and the Tour de Suisse. Mollema comes in second, home riders Franbk third.