Tour de Suisse 2019 – Stage 7 [FULL STAGE]

June 21, 2019

Tour de Suisse 2019 – Stage 7 – Unterterzen – San Gottardo : 216,6 km

The Tour de Suisse, together with the Criterium du Dauphine, is the last critical test before the Tour de France – on one hand, a tune-up for the general classification contenders – on the other, a fight for selection to a rider’s squad for the Grand Tour. For Team Ineos, the Tour de Suisse will be an important form check for defending Tour de France champion Geraint Thomas, who has not raced since coming third in the Tour de Romandie, and for his teammate Egan Bernal, who fractured his collarbone after the Volta a Catalunya. It will also be a critical juncture for Fabio Aru (UAE Team Emirates) who is coming back after iliac artery surgery.

Egan Bernal (Team Ineos) extended his lead in the Tour de Suisse with a commanding victory on stage 7. The Colombian dropped all of his GC rivals on the final climb of the Passo San Gottardo with just under two kilometres remaining and soloed to another impressive win in the young 22-year-old’s career.

There was little resistance when Bernal decided to stretch his legs on the cobbled sector of the long 12.4km climb with only Bahrain-Merida’s Domenico Pozzovivo and Rohan Dennis mounting a late but eventually futile chase.

The rest of the field simply had no response after Team Ineos and in particular Ben Swift set a frantic pace from the base of the final climb.

Bernal finished 23 seconds clear of the Bahrain-Merida chasing duo, with Patrick Konrad (Bora-Hansgrohe), Jan Hirt (Astana), and Tiesj Benoot (Lotto Soudal) finishing a further 11 seconds down.

Enric Mas (Deceuninck-QuickStep) had attacked with 4.5km to go but he was distanced by Bernal when the Colombian attacked and trailed in 40 seconds down. Fabio Aru (UAE Team Emirates) continued his fine comeback from injury with 10th on the mountain stage.

As for the overall classification, Bernal now leads Dennis by 41 seconds ahead of Saturday’s key individual time trial. Konrad is third at 1:13.

“I think so [that this victory is the most important in my career]. I’m happy for this, I won the TT last year at the Tour de Romandie, so it’s nice to win again in Suisse,” Bernal said at the finish.

“It was difficult to know [when to attack] because you never know how you’re going to feel at the end. I was feeling really good and I said to the guys, as always they did a fantastic job and in the end, I won the stage for them so it’s really nice. It wasn’t easy, they were full gas and even in the wheels, it’s really hard to stay with them in the wheels but I tried to stay calm and the final it was the best decision. We did a really good pace and everyone was full gas for the final.

“I’m not sure [if it is enough time on Rohan Dennis], he’s the world champion in the time trial and for sure, tomorrow I will lose time to him. I hope to not lose too much time but we also have another mountain stage. We will do our best and we will control what we can control.

How it unfolded

After Thursday’s foray in the mountains, the Tour de Suisse continued with a similar stage on stage 7 with an early break once again establishing a lead over the main field.

Winner Anacona (Movistar), Steve Morabito (Groupama-FDJ), Mathias Frank (AG2R La Mondiale), Michael Albasini (Mitchelton-Scott), Koen Bouwman (Jumbo-Visma), Gino Mader (Dimension Data), and Tsgabu Grmay (Mitchelton-Scott) broke clear and the group established a lead over the first major climb of the day.

However, as the Passo San Gottardo loomed, the peloton began to increase the pressure on the leaders and by the base of the climb only Fränk, Grmay, Morabito, Anacona and Mäder, Bouwman remained at the front.

Their lead sat at just over 2:30 with 25km to go but even before the official climb started Bouwan attacked. Clearly inspired by his teammate Antwan Tolhoek’s win on stage 6, the Dutch rider confidently rode clear but within five kilometers he was back in the clutches of the main break. Frank took the opportunity to attack next as Movistar and Ineos combined to reduce the bunch to fewer than 40 riders.

Frank was the last man standing when Ben Swift soared passed him with 5km to go, with Bernal and Dennis on his wheel, and when the Ineos domestique swung over he was replaced by teammate Kenny Ellisonde. The Frenchman could only muster a kilometer on the front and spent most of that chasing an attack from Enric Mas as a number of GC riders, including Marc Soler, began to drop backwards.

With 2.8km to go Bernal attacked and within a couple of hairpins, he was alongside Mas. The next acceleration distanced the Spaniard as Pozzovio and Dennis scrambled to limit their losses ahead of Saturday’s all-important time trial.

Results :
1 Egan Bernal (Col) Team Ineos 5:37:40
2 Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) Bahrain-Merida 0:00:23
3 Rohan Dennis (Aus) Bahrain-Merida
4 Patrick Konrad (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:00:34
5 Jan Hirt (Cze) Astana Pro Team
6 Tiesj Benoot (Bel) Lotto Soudal
7 Enric Mas (Spa) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:00:40
8 Simon Spilak (Slo) Katusha-Alpecin 0:00:50
9 Lennard Kämna (Ger) Team Sunweb 0:01:03
10 Fabio Aru (Ita) UAE Team Emirates
11 Carlos Betancur (Col) Movistar Team
12 Sergio Henao (Col) UAE Team Emirates
13 Nicolas Roche (Irl) Team Sunweb 0:01:06
14 Kilian Frankiny (Swi) Groupama-FDJ 0:01:19
15 Patrick Schelling (Sui) Switzerland 0:01:20
16 Merhawi Kudus (Eri) Astana Pro Team 0:01:49
17 Aurélien Paret Peintre (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:02:15
18 Romain Sicard (Fra) Direct Energie 0:02:18
19 François Bidard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
20 Fabio Felline (Ita) Trek-Segafredo 0:02:43
21 Nicola Conci (Ita) Trek-Segafredo 0:03:16
22 Marc Soler (Spa) Movistar Team 0:03:23
23 Maxime Monfort (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:03:32
24 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Dimension Data 0:03:59
25 Jonathan Castroviejo (Spa) Team Ineos
26 Ben Swift (GBr) Team Ineos 0:04:22
27 Matteo Badilatti (Swi) Israel Cycling Academy 0:04:38
28 Ben King (USA) Dimension Data 0:04:47
29 Matteo Fabbro (Ita) Katusha-Alpecin 0:05:15
30 Simon Geschke (Ger) CCC Team 0:05:24
31 Mathias Frank (Swi) AG2R La Mondiale
32 Luis Mas Bonet (Spa) Movistar Team 0:05:36
33 Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek-Segafredo 0:05:45
34 Geoffrey Bouchard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:05:50
35 Simon Pellaud (Sui) Switzerland 0:05:58
36 Michael Valgren Andersen (Den) Dimension Data 0:06:24
37 Steve Morabito (Swi) Groupama-FDJ 0:06:29
38 Luis León Sanchez (Spa) Astana Pro Team 0:06:53
39 Kenny Elissonde (Fra) Team Ineos 0:06:56
40 Roland Thalmann (Sui) Switzerland 0:07:00
41 Paul Ourselin (Fra) Direct Energie 0:07:29
42 Koen Bouwman (Ned) Team Jumbo-Visma 0:07:40
43 Dries Devenyns (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:07:47
44 Rodrigo Contreras (Col) Astana Pro Team 0:07:50
45 Marcus Burghardt (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:08:12
46 Gino Mäder (Swi) Dimension Data 0:08:28
47 Gianluca Brambilla (Ita) Trek-Segafredo 0:09:33
48 Lawson Craddock (USA) EF Education First 0:09:54
49 Sven Erik Bystrøm (Nor) UAE Team Emirates
50 Nathan Brown (USA) EF Education First
51 Matteo Trentin (Ita) Mitchelton-Scott 0:09:59
52 Taco van der Hoorn (Ned) Team Jumbo-Visma
53 Matej Mohoric (Slo) Bahrain-Merida 0:11:19
54 Yuriy Natarov (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 0:11:21
55 Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Team Sunweb 0:11:23
56 Tosh Van Der Sande (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:12:02
57 Adam Hansen (Aus) Lotto Soudal
58 Nathan Haas (Aus) Katusha-Alpecin
59 Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) AG2R La Mondiale 0:12:41
60 Antwan Tolhoek (Ned) Team Jumbo-Visma
61 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) CCC Team 0:12:52
62 Michael Schär (Swi) CCC Team
63 Hector Carretero (Spa) Movistar Team 0:13:16
64 Patrick Bevin (NZl) CCC Team 0:13:20
65 Stefan Küng (Swi) Groupama-FDJ 0:15:25
66 Marc Hirschi (Swi) Team Sunweb
67 Larry Warbasse (USA) AG2R La Mondiale
68 Gian Friesecke (Sui) Switzerland
69 Enrico Battaglin (Ita) Katusha-Alpecin
70 Pim Ligthart (Ned) Direct Energie
71 Michael Matthews (Aus) Team Sunweb 0:15:44
72 Tom-Jelte Slagter (Ned) Dimension Data 0:15:52
73 Yves Lampaert (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:16:03
74 Stan Dewulf (Bel) Lotto Soudal
75 Ryan Anderson (Can) Rally UHC Cycling
76 Willem Jakobus Smit (RSA) Katusha-Alpecin 0:16:34
77 Lukas Pöstlberger (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:16:38
78 Winner Anacona (Col) Movistar Team 0:16:56
79 Rick Zabel (Ger) Katusha-Alpecin 0:17:23
80 Alexander Kristoff (Nor) UAE Team Emirates 0:17:46
81 Colin Joyce (USA) Rally UHC Cycling 0:17:50
82 Mitchell Docker (Aus) EF Education First 0:17:56
83 Jérôme Cousin (Fra) Total Direct Energie
84 Rui Alberto Faria Da Costa (Por) UAE Team Emirates 0:17:58
85 Sam Bewley (NZl) Mitchelton-Scott
86 Robin Carpenter (USA) Rally UHC Cycling 0:19:12
87 Gavin Mannion (USA) Rally UHC Cycling 0:19:14
88 Bert-Jan Lindeman (Ned) Team Jumbo-Visma 0:19:15
89 Ivan Garcia (Spa) Bahrain-Merida 0:19:19
90 Michael Albasini (Swi) Mitchelton-Scott
91 Rob Britton (Can) Rally UHC Cycling
92 Kevin Geniets (Lux) Groupama-FDJ
93 Fabian Lienhard (Sui) Switzerland 0:19:32
94 Hugh John Carthy (GBr) EF Education First
95 Owain Doull (GBr) Team Ineos 0:19:48
96 Lilian Calmejane (Fra) Direct Energie 0:19:52
97 Jelle Vanendert (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:19:54
98 Pierre-Roger LaTour (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:19:56
99 Manuele Mori (Ita) UAE Team Emirates 0:19:57
100 Andrea Garosio (Ita) Bahrain-Merida
101 Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Movistar Team 0:20:03
102 Tom Scully (NZl) EF Education First
103 Sep Vanmarcke (Bel) EF Education First
104 Søren Kragh Andersen (Den) Team Sunweb
105 Tsgabu Grmay (Eth) Mitchelton-Scott 0:20:36
106 Kasper Asgreen (Den) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:20:47
107 Valerio Agnoli (Ita) Bahrain-Merida 0:20:55
108 Reto Hollenstein (Swi) Katusha-Alpecin
109 John Degenkolb (Ger) Trek-Segafredo
110 Claudio Imhoff (Sui) Switzerland
111 Daniel Oss (Ita) Bora-Hansgrohe
112 Peter Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe
113 Svein Tuft (Can) Rally UHC Cycling
114 Robert Stannard (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott 0:21:14
115 Carlos Cuesta Barbero (Spa) Movistar Team 0:22:13
116 Fabien Grellier (Fra) Direct Energie
117 Thomas Boudat (Fra) Direct Energie
118 Benjamin Thomas (Fra) Groupama-FDJ 0:22:21
119 Michael Gogl (Aut) Trek-Segafredo 0:22:35
120 Daniel Hoelgaard (Nor) Groupama-FDJ 0:23:42
121 Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:24:07
122 Antonio Nibali (Ita) Bahrain-Merida
123 Luke Rowe (GBr) Team Ineos 0:24:15
124 Andreas Schillinger (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:24:24
125 Jay Thomson (RSA) Dimension Data 0:25:08
126 Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) Dimension Data
127 Nikias Arndt (Ger) Team Sunweb 0:26:11
128 Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (Bel) CCC Team 0:27:03
129 Michael Mørkøv (Den) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:28:35
130 Alexander Edmondson (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott 0:28:41
131 Tom Bohli (Swi) UAE Team Emirates
132 Timo Roosen (Ned) Team Jumbo-Visma
133 Brandon McNulty (USA) Rally UHC Cycling
134 Szymon Sajnok (Pol) CCC Team 0:28:42
135 Elia Viviani (Ita) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:28:44
136 Lukasz Wisniowski (Pol) CCC Team
137 Maximiliano Richeze (Arg) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:28:47
138 Enzo Wouters (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:32:06
DNF Kiel Reijnen (USA) Trek-Segafredo
DNS Michael Hepburn (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott

General Classification after Stage 7 :
1 Egan Bernal (Col) Team Ineos 24:17:48
2 Rohan Dennis (Aus) Bahrain-Merida 0:00:41
3 Patrick Konrad (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:01:13
4 Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) Bahrain-Merida 0:01:17
5 Jan Hirt (Cze) Astana Pro Team 0:01:19
6 Tiesj Benoot (Bel) Lotto Soudal
7 Enric Mas (Spa) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:02:07
8 Fabio Aru (Ita) UAE Team Emirates 0:02:20
9 Nicolas Roche (Irl) Team Sunweb 0:02:23
10 Simon Spilak (Slo) Katusha-Alpecin 0:02:26
11 Sergio Henao (Col) UAE Team Emirates 0:02:35
12 Patrick Schelling (Sui) Switzerland 0:02:42
13 Carlos Betancur (Col) Movistar Team 0:02:57
14 François Bidard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:03:26
15 Lennard Kämna (Ger) Team Sunweb 0:03:33
16 Kilian Frankiny (Swi) Groupama-FDJ 0:03:51
17 Marc Soler (Spa) Movistar Team 0:04:14
18 Fabio Felline (Ita) Trek-Segafredo 0:04:17
19 Aurélien Paret Peintre (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:04:21
20 Romain Sicard (Fra) Direct Energie 0:04:23
21 Merhawi Kudus (Eri) Astana Pro Team
22 Nicola Conci (Ita) Trek-Segafredo 0:05:31
23 Jonathan Castroviejo (Spa) Team Ineos 0:05:52
24 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Dimension Data 0:06:19
25 Luis Mas Bonet (Spa) Movistar Team 0:07:28
26 Matteo Fabbro (Ita) Katusha-Alpecin 0:07:42
27 Steve Morabito (Swi) Groupama-FDJ 0:08:46
28 Mathias Frank (Swi) AG2R La Mondiale 0:09:04
29 Luis León Sanchez (Spa) Astana Pro Team 0:09:56
30 Koen Bouwman (Ned) Team Jumbo-Visma 0:10:37
31 Ben Swift (GBr) Team Ineos 0:10:56
32 Lawson Craddock (USA) EF Education First 0:11:46
33 Maxime Monfort (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:12:14
34 Kenny Elissonde (Fra) Team Ineos 0:12:49
35 Gianluca Brambilla (Ita) Trek-Segafredo 0:13:44
36 Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Team Sunweb 0:15:36
37 Simon Geschke (Ger) CCC Team 0:15:57
38 Gino Mäder (Swi) Dimension Data 0:16:17
39 Roland Thalmann (Sui) Switzerland 0:17:13
40 Matteo Trentin (Ita) Mitchelton-Scott 0:18:25
41 Simon Pellaud (Sui) Switzerland 0:18:53
42 Dries Devenyns (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:19:09
43 Matteo Badilatti (Swi) Israel Cycling Academy 0:19:21
44 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) CCC Team 0:19:43
45 Patrick Bevin (NZl) CCC Team 0:20:23
46 Winner Anacona (Col) Movistar Team 0:20:26
47 Nathan Brown (USA) EF Education First 0:20:36
48 Marc Hirschi (Swi) Team Sunweb 0:21:02
49 Hugh John Carthy (GBr) EF Education First 0:21:14
50 Antwan Tolhoek (Ned) Team Jumbo-Visma 0:21:25
51 Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek-Segafredo 0:21:34
52 Paul Ourselin (Fra) Direct Energie 0:21:40
53 Ben King (USA) Dimension Data 0:21:45
54 Kevin Geniets (Lux) Groupama-FDJ 0:21:59
55 Hector Carretero (Spa) Movistar Team 0:22:33
56 Michael Schär (Swi) CCC Team 0:22:39
57 Rodrigo Contreras (Col) Astana Pro Team 0:23:07
58 Sven Erik Bystrøm (Nor) UAE Team Emirates 0:23:40
59 Geoffrey Bouchard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:23:47
60 Robert Stannard (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott 0:25:27
61 Michael Matthews (Aus) Team Sunweb 0:26:27
62 Nathan Haas (Aus) Katusha-Alpecin 0:26:38
63 Enrico Battaglin (Ita) Katusha-Alpecin 0:27:38
64 Matej Mohoric (Slo) Bahrain-Merida 0:28:24
65 Lilian Calmejane (Fra) Direct Energie 0:29:16
66 Stefan Küng (Swi) Groupama-FDJ 0:29:18
67 Rui Alberto Faria Da Costa (Por) UAE Team Emirates 0:29:24
68 Michael Albasini (Swi) Mitchelton-Scott 0:30:46
69 Michael Valgren Andersen (Den) Dimension Data 0:31:13
70 Kasper Asgreen (Den) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:31:23
71 Stan Dewulf (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:31:48
72 Adam Hansen (Aus) Lotto Soudal 0:31:56
73 Tsgabu Grmay (Eth) Mitchelton-Scott 0:32:42
74 Pim Ligthart (Ned) Direct Energie 0:32:47
75 Søren Kragh Andersen (Den) Team Sunweb 0:33:08
76 Yuriy Natarov (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 0:33:31
77 Tom-Jelte Slagter (Ned) Dimension Data 0:34:17
78 Yves Lampaert (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:34:53
79 Larry Warbasse (USA) AG2R La Mondiale 0:35:33
80 Peter Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:36:49
81 Gian Friesecke (Sui) Switzerland 0:37:13
82 Taco van der Hoorn (Ned) Team Jumbo-Visma 0:37:20
83 Nikias Arndt (Ger) Team Sunweb 0:38:02
84 Lukas Pöstlberger (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:40:17
85 Tosh Van Der Sande (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:40:56
86 Valerio Agnoli (Ita) Bahrain-Merida 0:41:29
87 Daniel Oss (Ita) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:41:52
88 Carlos Cuesta Barbero (Spa) Movistar Team 0:41:56
89 Alexander Kristoff (Nor) UAE Team Emirates 0:42:25
90 Owain Doull (GBr) Team Ineos 0:42:58
91 Fabian Lienhard (Sui) Switzerland 0:43:14
92 Willem Jakobus Smit (RSA) Katusha-Alpecin 0:43:30
93 Sep Vanmarcke (Bel) EF Education First 0:43:52
94 Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) AG2R La Mondiale 0:44:03
95 Brandon McNulty (USA) Rally UHC Cycling 0:44:15
96 Mitchell Docker (Aus) EF Education First 0:45:11
97 Manuele Mori (Ita) UAE Team Emirates 0:45:38
98 Pierre-Roger LaTour (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:45:53
99 Ivan Garcia (Spa) Bahrain-Merida 0:46:08
100 Marcus Burghardt (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:46:24
101 Colin Joyce (USA) Rally UHC Cycling 0:46:32
102 Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) Dimension Data 0:48:46
103 John Degenkolb (Ger) Trek-Segafredo 0:49:38
104 Michael Gogl (Aut) Trek-Segafredo 0:50:06
105 Benjamin Thomas (Fra) Groupama-FDJ 0:50:14
106 Andrea Garosio (Ita) Bahrain-Merida 0:50:32
107 Thomas Boudat (Fra) Direct Energie 0:52:04
108 Robin Carpenter (USA) Rally UHC Cycling 0:53:24
109 Sam Bewley (NZl) Mitchelton-Scott 0:54:20
110 Lukasz Wisniowski (Pol) CCC Team 0:54:31
111 Rick Zabel (Ger) Katusha-Alpecin 0:54:41
112 Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Movistar Team 0:55:33
113 Timo Roosen (Ned) Team Jumbo-Visma 0:55:43
114 Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:56:26
115 Claudio Imhoff (Sui) Switzerland 0:56:28
116 Fabien Grellier (Fra) Direct Energie 0:56:41
117 Bert-Jan Lindeman (Ned) Team Jumbo-Visma 0:56:55
118 Elia Viviani (Ita) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:57:00
119 Michael Mørkøv (Den) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:57:46
120 Ryan Anderson (Can) Rally UHC Cycling 0:57:49
121 Rob Britton (Can) Rally UHC Cycling 0:58:36
122 Jelle Vanendert (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:58:59
123 Daniel Hoelgaard (Nor) Groupama-FDJ 0:59:27
124 Tom Scully (NZl) EF Education First 0:59:29
125 Reto Hollenstein (Swi) Katusha-Alpecin 0:59:55
126 Jérôme Cousin (Fra) Total Direct Energie 1:00:16
127 Jay Thomson (RSA) Dimension Data 1:00:53
128 Gavin Mannion (USA) Rally UHC Cycling 1:01:50
129 Svein Tuft (Can) Rally UHC Cycling 1:03:54
130 Antonio Nibali (Ita) Bahrain-Merida 1:03:59
131 Szymon Sajnok (Pol) CCC Team 1:04:55
132 Tom Bohli (Swi) UAE Team Emirates 1:05:35
133 Maximiliano Richeze (Arg) Deceuninck-QuickStep 1:05:56
134 Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (Bel) CCC Team 1:07:41
135 Luke Rowe (GBr) Team Ineos 1:07:47
136 Andreas Schillinger (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe 1:09:06
137 Alexander Edmondson (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott 1:09:10
138 Enzo Wouters (Bel) Lotto Soudal 1:27:20