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Anton takes stage, lead in Tour de Suisse
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Igor Anton (Euskaltel-Euskadi) pulled on the leader's yellow jersey after climbing to victory in Sunday's second stage of the Tour de Suisse.
The Spanish climber crossed the line six seconds ahead of Luxembourg's Kim Kirchen (Team High Road), Italy's Damiano Cunego (Lampre-Fondital) and CSC's Frank Schleck following the 197km run to the ski station of Flumserberg, which finished in rain and freezing conditions at 1400 meters altitude.
Anton stuck with the favorites on the tough 10km final climb pulling ahead on the steep final slope with an 18 percent gradient. Germany's Andreas Klöden (Astana) lost 30 seconds on the leaders after falling behind during the grueling climb.
"I knew that the final 350 meters would be the toughest and that's where I attacked," said Anton. "The hardest lies ahead for us. The Swiss terrain is difficult and there are seven stages left, including a killer 25km time trial on a slope which I've never done before.
"It's going to be tough for me to hold the (leader's) jersey."
Swiss sprinter Martin Elmiger (Ag2r-La Mondiale), winner of the 2007 Tour Down Under, had led a long breakaway from 37km, building up a lead of 18 minutes near the halfway point, before the peloton began to work. At the foot of the Flumserberg climb, Elmiger's lead had been cut to just one minute.
Germany's Jens Voigt (Team CSC) tried to break away, preparing the way for an attack by Luxembourg's Schleck some 4km from the line.
But Schleck could not maintain the pace, allowing Swiss Oliver Zaugg (Gerolsteiner) to break through before Anton slipped through ahead of the favorites.
