Tour de Suisse 2022: Williams sprints to leaders jersey

Tour de Suisse 2022: Williams sprints to leader’s jersey

image: Cor VosStephen Williams sprints to victory from a 15 men group in the 1st stage of the Tour de Suisse. The Welshman outguns Maximilian Schachmann and Andreas Kron on the line. Obviously, Williams is the first GC leader. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 1st stage 2022 Tour de Suisse

1. Stephen Williams (gbr)
2. Maximilian Schachmann (ger) s.t.
3. Andreas Kron (den) s.t.
4. Marc Hirschi (swi) s.t.
5. Alexey Lutsenko (kaz) s.t.
6. Ilan Van Wilder (bel) s.t.
7. Stefan Küng (swi) s.t.
8. Sergio Higuita (col) s.t.
9. Sepp Kuss (usa) s.t.
10. Domenico Pozzovivo (ita) s.t.

GC after stage 1
1. Stephen Williams (gbr)
2. Maximilian Schachmann (ger) + 0.04
3. Andreas Kron (den) + 0.06
4. Marc Hirschi (swi) + 0.10
5. Alexey Lutsenko (kaz) s.t.
6. Ilan Van Wilder (bel) s.t.
7. Stefan Küng (swi) s.t.
8. Sergio Higuita (col) s.t.
9. Sepp Kuss (usa) s.t.
10. Domenico Pozzovivo (ita) s.t.

11. Adam Yates (gbr) s.t.
12. Aleksandr Vlasov (rus) s.t.
13. Jakob Fuglsang (den) s.t.
14. Geraint Thomas (gbr) s.t.
15. Remco Evenepoel (bel) s.t.

32. Daniel Felipe Martínez (col) + 1.01
34. Rigoberto Uran (col) s.t.
35. Thibaut Pinot (fra) s.t.
37. Gino Mäder (swi) s.t.

54. Hugh Carthy (gbr) + 2.02
55. Thymen Arensman (nld) s.t.

150. Ion Izagirre (spa) + 19.56

Race report
A group of seven jump off the front in the early kilometres. Jay Vine, Casper Pedersen, Lewis Askey, Johan Jacobs, Quin Simmons, Chad Haga and Simon Vitzthul open up a 4 minutes lead. Askey drops back several times before he loses contact for good in the last 60 kilometres.

The remaining six cross the line for the last lap with a lead a little under 1 minute before the last attacker is brought back inside the last 7 kilometres.

Remco Evenepoel and Jakob Fuglsang attack on a climb with 5 kilometres to go. This sets off a frantic finale. Adam Yates, Aleksandr Vlasov, Geraint Thomas and others bridge across, but not all GC contenders are there. So the pace remains high.

Vlasov strikes just before the flamme rouge and Evenepoel jumps across. For a moment this seems to be the decive move, but no, Ineos closes the gap in the last 500 metres before, rather by suprise, a 26-year old Welshman storms to glory: Stephen Williams.

Another interesting read: route 1st stage 2022 Tour de Suisse.