Tour de Suisse 2016 Stage 6: Weening solos to victory in horrible weather, Kelderman new leader

Stage 6 in the Tour de Suisse takes the riders in 162.8 kilometres to Amden. Halfway they climb up the long and high Klausen Pass, while the finale is a 9 kilometres climb at 9.3%. A tough stage in itself, the race becomes even harder because of the incessant rain. Pieter Weening attacks from the front group at the lower slopes of the closing climb and he soloes to victory. Wilco Kelderman is strongest in the group with GC favourites and he is the new leader. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 6th stage Tour de Suisse

1. Pieter Weening (nld)
2. Maximiliano Richeze (arg) + 2.37
3. Maciej Paterski (pol) + 3.57
4. Kristjan Koren (slo) + 4.13
5. Wilco Kelderman (nld) + 4.31
6. Andrew Talansky (usa) s.t.
7. Warren Barguil (fra) s.t.
8. Ion Izagirre (spa) + 4.35
9. Miguel Angel Lopez (spa) + 4.36
10. Simon Spilak (slo) + 4.39

14. Gorka Izagirre (spa) + 5.03
15. Pierre Latour (fra) + 5.22
16. Geraint Thomas (gbr) s.t.
18. Rui Costa (por) + 5.30
28. Tejay van Garderen (usa) + 6.22

GC after the 6th stage
1. Wilco Kelderman (nld)
2. Warren Barguil (fra) + 0.16
3. Andrey Talansky (usa) + 0.19
4. Ion Izagirre (spa) + 0.34
5. Miguel Angel Lopez (fra) + 0.39
6. Pierre Latour (fra) + 0.51
7. Simon Spilak (slo) + 0.52
8. Geraint Thomas (gbr) + 0.56
9. Gorka Izagirre (spa) + 0.59
10. Jarlinson Pantano (col) + 1.03

11. Rui Costa (por) + 1.34
13. Tejay van Garderen (usa) + 2.09

Race report
Once again in rainy conditions, the riders leave Amden and it takes 18 kms for a front group to take shape. Gilbert, Simon, KOM leader Antwan Tolhoek, Weening, Keisse, Van der Sande, Rast, Ligthart, Koren, Richeze, Réza, Elmiger, Sütterlin, Paterski and Brüngger race to a lead at over 5 minutes. Then: status quo.

While climbing the Klausen Pass the gap widens to 6 minutes. Tolhoek is the first to crest, thus cementing his KOM lead. Gilbert and Van der Sande go on the attack in the descent, but in the valley they are accompanied by most of their former companions. Tolhoek has been dropped.

Gorka Izagirre leaves the peloton to start chasing. Sütterlin waits for his team mate and together they power on. When hitting the closing climb the front group is 3’25” ahead of Igazirre/Sutterlin, while the peloton is 6’23” adrift.

On the lower slopes Weening attacks and he soloes to victory.

In the group with favourites Van Garderen, Latour and Geraint Thomas are dropped and Izagirre is reeled in with 1 km to go. Kelderman is strongest as he sprints to fifth place. While only Barguil and Talansky are able to hold is wheel, the Dutchman puts time into all other opponents.