It was another 2024 Tour de Suisse summit finish on Saturday’s penultimate stage and another UAE-Emirates victory. Race leader Adam Yates took his second stage win, giving his squad three consecutive triumphs.
The Course
Like Saturday’s first stage of Tour de Suisse Women won by Demi Vollering, the penultimate stage of the men’s race started and finished in Villars-sur-Ollon. The climb to Villars-sur-Ollon would be assailed twice, the second time as the summit finish, and the Col de la Croix would also be ascended twice over 118.2 km. It was a somber day in the peloton on the one year anniversary of Gino Mäder’s death in the Tour de Suisse.
Three classified climbs, 3000 meters of vertical gain and 120 kilometers – the ingredients of the tough #TourdeSuisse stage 7. pic.twitter.com/X8opMV4lKP
— Soudal Quick-Step Pro Cycling Team (@soudalquickstep) June 15, 2024
Before the first Col de la Croix proper and on the climb itself breakaways tried to take wing but could not. Finally, just before the crest, eight riders went clear and then headed down the long descent to the valley floor. Ineos hauled along the peloton two minutes behind. At 7.3 km in length and 8.2 percent, Villars-sur-Ollon was a tough early test. Fourteenth-place Lenny Martinez and fifteenth-place Cian Uijtdebroeks were dropped.
After a brief, sort-of respite, the shorter, steeper Col de la Croix kicked up again. The Grenadiers carried on at the front of the diminished field. Visma-Lease a Bike’s Norwegian Johannes Staune-Mittet bid adieu to his breakmates and lit out for glory.
On the descent of Col de la Croix, the pursuit slackened. The yellow-clad soloist reached the valley floor with a 1:30 advantage and 23 km to go. He started up Villars-sur-Ollon II with less than a minute’s gap. Grimacing in a vain attempt to stay away, Staune-Mittet was overwhelmed, a move from ninth-place Felix Gall sealing his fate.
João Almeida attacked and Yates had to go along. Matthew Riccitello and Wilco Kelderman joined in. Almeida pulled along the quartet and it found Gall with 1.6 km remaining. Yates made a thrust, Almeida on his six. The teammates crossed beneath the red kite. The shook hands with 50 meters to the line and Yates crossed first.
Sunday’s concluding stage is a 15.7-km time trial, the final 10 km of which is uphill.
2024 Tour de Suisse Stage 7
1) Adam Yates (Great Britain/UAE-Emirates) 3:05:41
2) João Almeida…
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