VADUZ: Belgian Yves Lampaert won a pancake flat opening day time-trial of the Tour of Switzerland on Sunday, before the race moves into the mountains.
The Soudal rider Lampaert is a former Belgian champion and won the Tour de France opener in Denmark in 2022.
He completed the almost totally flat 4.8km course with only three corners to negotiate in 5min 05sec, with the stage raced mainly along the Rhine River in Liechtenstein.
The race is the final warm-up stage race before the Tour de France and of the riders present there are several who have placed in the top three at the Grande Boucle.
Adam Yates was the fastest of those at 15sec, with 2019 Tour de France winner Egan Bernal at 18sec and Richard Carapaz at 23sec.
There is only one flat stage, one hilly one and four mountain slogs before a final day individual time-trial.
French tyro Lenny Martinez is at 19sec and last year's champion Mattias Skjelmose sits 11sec down.
In the 2023 edition, Swiss rider Gino Maeder lost his life after a freak fall coming downhill. - AFP