For the first time since 2008, the Tour of Switzerland was not opened by a time trial. In temperatures of more than 30 degrees, the riders had to accomplish four laps around Küsnacht in the Zürich region, each of them containing the Pfannenstiel (4 km at 5%) and the Küsnachter Berg (3 km à 8%) climbs.
Six riders animated the stage until they were caught in the last lap. It was on the last climb that the favorites battled with each other and Italian rider Domenico Pozzovivo was present when a group of fifteen riders managed to distance the rest of the peloton on the top. This group sprinted for the victory and Pozzovivo took tenth place.
The profile of the opening stage promised an interesting opening of this Tour de Suisse and already an important day for the general classification. I had to stay concentrated all day if I wanted to follow the favorites in the final. I’m happy that I managed to sprint for the victory, because the succession of the Giro and the Tour de Suisse is not easy. I even took some advantage on important competitors for the general classification. My main enemy today was the heat, because it was a big change from the snowy conditions on the Passo dello Stelvio. I want to thank the team for the support. Thanks to parners such as Crampfix I can complement my minerals before the stage and my teammates often offered me drinking bottles. Usually I like warm weather, so I expect to adapt quickly to these conditions.
