Back then, Lampaert (Soudal - Quick Step) had surprisingly won the 1st stage of the Tour de France - the time trial in Copenhagen. It was a 13 kilometre race at the time. In Vaduz, the capital of Liechtenstein, the 33-year-old Belgian only had to complete 4.77 kilometres, partly on a cycle path directly on the Rhine. He did this at an average speed of 56.2 km/h and took 5:05 minutes.
Local hero Stefan Bissegger (EF Education EasyPost) was three seconds slower and Ethan Hayter (Ineos Grenadiers) took one more. Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) was the first contender for the overall victory of the tour. He needed seven seconds longer than Lampaert and thus four less than last year's winner Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek).
Lampaert defeats "Swiss specialists"
"I didn't expect to be able to beat the Swiss specialists today," said Lampaert in the winner's interview, referring to Bissegger and Stefan Küng, who also finished eighth, eleven seconds behind. "I'm very proud of that. The level in cycling is very high these days, and after two years without success you start to have doubts. That's why I'm very happy now. The distance suited me."
With his victory, Lampaert also took the yellow jersey and the overall lead. He would like to keep this after the 2nd stage. "It will be a nice stage. It will be hilly, but maybe a few sprinters will make it to the finish in a small group. I'm hoping for that, then maybe I can defend it." Ten kilometres before the finish in Regensdorf, a short but steep 3rd category climb awaits.
Tour de Suisse 2024 - the top 10 of stage 1
- Yves Lampaert (Soudal - Quick Step) 5:05
- Stefan Bissegger (EF Education EasyPost) +0:03
- Ethan Hayter (Ineos Grenadiers) +0:04
- Joao Almeida (UAE Team EMirates) +0:07
- Finn Fisher-Black (UAE Team Emirates) +0:07
- Samuel Watson (Groupama-FDJ) +0:09
- Alberto Bettiol (EF Education EasyPost) +0:09
- Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ) +0:11
- Mauro Schmid (Jayco AlUla) +0:11
- Sören Kragh Andersen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) +0:11
The current standings in the overall standings
- Yves Lampaert (Soudal - Quick Step) 5:05
- Stefan Bissegger (EF Education EasyPost) +0:03
- Ethan Hayter (Ineos Grenadiers) +0:04
- Joao Almeida (UAE Team EMirates) +0:07
- Finn Fisher-Black (UAE Team Emirates) +0:07
- Samuel Watson (Groupama-FDJ) +0:09
- Alberto Bettiol (EF Education EasyPost) +0:09
- Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ) +0:11
- Mauro Schmid (Jayco AlUla) +0:11
- Sören Kragh Andersen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) +0:11
How the 1st stage of the Tour de Suisse 2024 went
Switzerland's Jan Sommer (Swiss Cycling) was the first rider on the start ramp to open the Tour de Suisse. He set a time of 5:19 minutes, but this did not last too long, as Almeida started the race in seventh place. The Portuguese rider chose the route that most of the favourites for the overall classification and the stage win took: an early start.
Because rain had been forecast. And it did get wet from time to time. But most of the experts were already through by then. Almeida's new best time was also not beaten by the first Swiss contender for victory, Küng. Meanwhile, Cian Uijtdebroeks (Visma | Lease a Bike) and Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates), two other GC riders, finished further behind (ultimately 23 and 15 seconds respectively).
Buchmann concedes half a minute
Within five minutes of each other, Lampaert, Hayter and Bissegger started the race. They rode their 4.77 kilometres in dry conditions and set the marks that ultimately meant the podium. Emanuel Buchmann (Bora-Hansgrohe), who started at a similar time, finished more than half a minute behind. Things went a little better for Felix Gall, who came away with 21 seconds.
Then came the rain. The top 10 was almost set in stone. Only Sören Kragh Andersen (Alpecin-Deceuninck), who was the penultimate rider to start on dry roads again, finished in tenth place, eleven seconds behind the leader.
