Austria's Bernhard Eisel (Fdjeux.com) won a sprint finish in the first stage of the Tour of Switzerland here on Saturday and then thanked Australian teammate Baden Cooke.

Eisel finished ahead of Belgian Tom Boonen (Quick Step) and Austrian Peter Wrolich (Gerolsteiner) following the 170km stage from Schaffhausen, but it was sweet revenge for Cooke over Olympic champion Paolo Bettini (Quick Step).

Bettini launched the sprint finish, but Eisel, having insider knowledge that Cooke was not at his best, was able to claim victory with Bettini fourth and Cooke sixth.

"Before the stage, it was decided that Cooke would contest the sprint," Eisel said. "But with 20km to go, Cooke told us he was not at his best and I had my chance. I won thanks to Cooke who is a great professional."

Cooke even lifted his arms as a sign of victory well before his teammate crossed the line first and then went over to warmly congratulate Eisel afterwards.

Eisel's victory repaid Bettini for veering in front of Cooke as the two battled for the fourth-stage win in the Giro d’Italia on May 11. Cooke tried to force his way past, but hit the barriers with his left shoulder and went flying spectacularly over the handlebars. Shortly afterwards, Bettini was stripped of the stage win.

The 24-year-old Eisel will wear the leader's yellow jersey for Sunday's crucial 36km time trial around Weinfelden, the only stage against the clock in this nine-day race, which runs till June 19.

T-Mobile’s Jan Ullrich, who is using this race in his build-up to the Tour de France - where he finally hopes to upstage six-time winner Lance Armstrong (Discovery Channel) - lives in the Weinfelden region.

CSC said to be keeping dossiers on journalists
Team CSC, run by former Tour de France winner Bjarne Riis, has come under the spotlight at the Dauphiné Libéré after it was alleged that team officials have created secret files on journalists.

An official with the Danish outfit has been spotted on several occasions taking pictures of journalists in the press room, allegedly to show CSC riders whom they should not speak with.

The revelations have angered Gilles Le Roc'h, the president of the international cycling journalists' association (AIJC), who has already officially complained to UCI president Hein Verbruggen.

"Secret files have been created by the CSC team, complete with photos, so they can show their riders and team members which journalists they should avoid talking to," said Le Roc'h.

"That way the team knows whether they are talking to someone who is sympathetic to the team or to a journalist who is going to ask awkward quetions about doping and other things they don't want to answer.

"What's more, creating files on someone in a professional capacity in France is illegal. It's absolutely unacceptable, above all from someone (Riis) who can't give lessons to anyone."

Verbruggen, who will soon quit his post as president of the UCI, has already been informed and said he would "act" upon the revelations.

A team spokesman rejected the charges.

"We totally and unconditionally reject the accusations," Brian Nygaard, the team's press spokesman, told the Danish national press agency.

"It's completely false and if people know us they know it’s also not the way we operate."

Nevertheless, the charges have rocked the journalists covering the Dauphiné Libéré. Race organizer Thierry Cazeneuve, who is also the president of the National League of Cycling Professionals (LNCP) - and a journalist with the Dauphiné Libéré newspaper - said they would be acting on the news.

"It's a strange way to go about things, and is something we have to get to the bottom of," said Cazeneuve. "Obviously I'm shocked. As a journalist, I know we can't let this kind of behavior continue."

Marc Madiot, manager of the Française des Jeux team, added: "I know that Bjarne Riis is someone who is well organized, but I'm not sure it's the best way to promote the image of his team, or his employer.”

Dekker in doubt for Rabobank Tour team
Dutchman Erik Dekker may not be competing in next month's Tour de France, his Rabobank team said on Saturday while at the Tour of Switzerland.

Though Dekker is in the 11-man pre-squad for the July 2 to 24 Tour, his season is more oriented towards the second half of the season with events such as the Tour du Benelux, Tour of Germany and other big one-day races.

However, Rabobank has the option of picking Dekker, who won three Tour de France stages in 2000 and one stage the following year, considering question marks over some of his teammates.

For instance, Spanish world champion Oscar Freire did not compete for seven months because of recurring pain in a knee, though he is competing in the Swiss tour. And countryman Pedro Horrillo had to pull out of this week's Dauphiné Libéré because of a fall that injured a knee.

Rabobank for the Tour de France (preliminary): Denis Menchov (Rus), Oscar Freire, Pedro Horrillo (Sp), Michael Boogerd, Erik Dekker, Karsten Kroon, Gerben Loewik, Joost Posthuma, Pieter Weening(Nl), Michael Rasmussen (Dk), Marc Wauters (B).

Phonak bringing global squad to Tour
Seven nationalities will be present in the Phonak team for this year’s Tour de France, the Swiss team said on Saturday.

Included in the squad is Colombia's Tour of Romandy winner Santiago Botero, who on Saturday won the penultimate stage of the Dauphiné Libéré, and American Floyd Landis, who was a lieutenant of six-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong last year.

Phonak for the Tour de France: Santiago Botero (Col), Bert Grabsch (G), Jose Enrique Gutierrez and Oscar Pereiro (Sp), Robert Hunter (RSA), Nicolas Jalabert (F), Floyd Landis (USA), Alexandre Moos and Steve Zampieri (Swi).

Beyart, Olympic medalist, dies at 79
Jose Beyaert, the 1948 Olympic gold medalist in road racing and a longtime coach of Colombia's national team, died Saturday, his family said. He was 79.

Beyaert died in a hospital in the western city of La Rochelle, France, where he had been treated a month for various health problems, said his son, also named Jose Beyaert.

At the 1948 Olympics in London, Beyaert won a bronze medal in the team time trial for France as well as his gold in road racing. He was well-known in Colombia for winning that nation's tour in 1952.

Beyaert stayed in Colombia for most of his life, working as a coach and radio commentator, his son said. He tried his hand at many different jobs, working in the emerald trade and exporting wood from Colombia to Japan. He also lived for a time on a Caribbean island.

``He always did everything he wanted to do, he traveled all over the world, he lived his dreams,'' the younger Beyaert said.

The Beyaert family remained in Colombia until nearly five years ago, when they fled that country's conflict, which pits leftist rebels against right-wing paramilitary factions and government forces.

The family said it had not yet organized funeral plans. The cyclist is survived by his son and four grandchildren. -The Associated Press