Liquigas’s Michael Albasini jumped out of a seven-man escape group to win the fifth stage of the Tour of Switzerland on Wednesday.

The win was the first in the 24-year-old Albasini’s professional career and one that was especially sweet as it took place on home soil and came by outsprinting his old Phonak teammate, Swiss national champion, Gregory Rast at the front of a small group that finished but 38 seconds ahead of the main field.

“I never thought our group could arrive ahead of the peloton,” said Albasini. “But about 10 kilometers from the end, I began to believe we just might do it.”

T-Mobile’s Jan Ullrich finished with the peloton, easily keeping his grip on the yellow leader’s jersey, and confident of his place as the Tour of Switzerland heads into the mountains.

Ullrich stays in yellow

Photo: Agence France Presse

Wednesday’s stage took the riders 172 kilometers, winding south through central Switzerland alongside lakes and through scores of traffic circles. With the previous day’s rainstorm clearing out overnight, temperatures climbed into the 80s.

The first 115 kilometers were relatively flat, but were followed by two Category 3 climbs and a long, curvy descent through the town of Schwyz – from which Switzerland takes its name. Finally the race plunged through several tunnels before ending in the small town of Altdorf.

And it was on the day’s first climb that a group of seven - Albasini, Rast, Maarten de Bakker (Rabobank), Allan Johansen (CSC), Gustav Erik Larsson (Fassa Bartolo), Yannick Talabardon (Crédit Agricole) and Rene Haselbacher (Gerolsteiner) – slipped off the front of the field and surprised even themselves by staying away.

The group never built a huge lead, but managed to cooperate well until the final few kilometers when the usual jockeying for position began in earnest.

Both de Bakker and Haselbacher tried futile attacks as the group hit the final 1000 meters, but it was the two Swiss riders in the group – Rast and Albasini – who proved truly motivated for a stage-win before the home crowd.

Albasini dashed to cover a final attack by de Bakker, but overshot and found himself out in front with only 100 meters to go. It was clear to the fans and the announcer alike when the young rider decided to drop his head and charge for the line. But his competitors were one fatal second too late in realizing what was happening.

“I was too late,” said Rast later. “I see the wheel from Albasini, and I went for it, but I was not fast enough.”

"I get on really well with Rast, we raced together for two years when we were younger and then for two more years in the Phonak team but in a sprint like this there are no friends," Albasini noted.

Albasini’s previous best result in a high profile race was a fifth-place finish at the Championships of Zürich. After that event, Phonak asked Albasini to remain with the team for another season, but he had already signed with Liquigas.

“I have made great progress with Liquigas,” said the 24-year-old Albasini, “and I'm not sure I would have won this stage with Phonak.”

In a post-race press conference on Wednesday, Albasini said he hopes the stage win will garner him a spot in the upcoming Tour de France. He said Liquigas has kept one spot open, but will not fill it until after next Sunday, when the Tour of Switzerland ends.

Wednesday’s two Cat. 3 climbs are nothing compared to Thursday’s haul over the hors-categorie Oberalp Pass, a set of steep switchbacks alongside glaciers, covering 1500 meters in the first 40 km.

“Now the real Tour of Switzerland begins,” said Rast after Wednesday’s finish.