Peter Sagan Wins Tour De Suisse Stage 3

Last updated : 11 June 2012 By Kev Monks

Peter Sagan won the third stage of the Tour De Suisse this afternoon.

Stage 3 was a 194km stage from Martigny to Aarberg and saw the riders leave a sunny Martigny after saying goodbye to the St. Bernard dogs for which the town is famous for.

However, the rain which has been heavy all over Europe returned and the three riders in AG2R's Guillame Bonnafond, Saxo Bank's Michael Morkov and Lotto's Jose Vangenechten, who were seven minutes and ten seconds clear rode through it as they came through Aarberg for the start of a 60km final lap.

With 55kms to go, the leaders plus a few at the front had got through but the main peloton including race leader Rui Costa were caught at a railway crossing when the barriers went down.

The delay for the train to go through was two minutes and as the race went through Muerian, a decision from the commisairs was awaited.

Those who jumped the lights including the Movistar team were brought back and forced to ride in a neutralised zone until those held up had caught up. This allowed the three out front to extend their lead and they were eight and a half minutes ahead with 45kms to go.

Bonnafond took the intermediate sprint at Willier before Jose Vangenechten dropped back leaving Bonnaford and Morkov some 2.18 ahead with 16kms left.

Morkov took the second sprint and the six points on offer at Uettlingen after Team Sky's Lars Nordhaug had crashed.

The peloton with Team Sky riding for Ben Swift, had the gap down to 13 seconds as the stage entered the last five kilometres.

With the sun out on wet roads, the front two kept going but going under the flam rouge, they were just seconds ahead. They were caught and Haussler took to the front and it was Peter Sagan who took the win.

Second was Baden Cooke with Ben Swift third. Rui Costa keeps his leaders yellow jersey with Nicholas Roche in fifth.