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Swift Claims Romandie Finale

Monday 2 May 2011

Team Sky's Ben Swift took an impressive stage win on the final day of the prestigious Tour de Romandie in Switzerland. The overall win went to Australian former world champion Cadel Evans (BMC), but after almost 4 hours of racing it was Swift who provided the performance of the day as he outsprinted another (multiple) former world champion Oscar Freire (Rabobank) and Davide Vigano (Leopard Trek).

The day saw the expected series of attacks you always get towards the end of a short stage race, but Evan's BMC team kept things in check, preventing any significant breaks building a lead and after the last hopefuls were caught four miles from the finish, it all came down to a bunch sprint with Swift once again showing why he's such an exciting talent, beating a high-class field to claim one of his biggest wins to date.

Lots More on Swift's Win on the Sky Team website

Ben also produced a blog after the event, which sums it up nicely:

Ben Swift's Tour of Romandie

The Tour of Romandie finished in the best way possible with a stage win. It was nice to get the win, after a week of great teamwork and near misses. We really wanted to make sure it was a sprint today as Tony Martin did an impressive attack and robbed us of one on Stage 3.

The moral was high on the bus on the way to the start and the music was even higher. The plan for the day was to protect me and make sure it was a sprint. It was going to be a very hard day with two cat 1 climbs both at over 7km long and steep, so the team and myself had our work cut out.

The guys rode great together just like we have all week, we where always around each other and most of the time at the head of affairs. Coming into the first cat 1 the team positioned me right at the front to give me the best chance of getting over, I had really good legs and stayed at the head of the bunch up the first climb with the team around me. It's a nice feeling knowing you are holding position on a climb and the group is getting smaller all the time we climb up. It was a quick descent and a quick regroup just in time for the second and harder climb. Once again the team positioned me perfectly and I went over the top in the front group. The guys was really great here once we had got over the steep section they road on the front so we could set our own tempo.

A long descent into the final 35km and the team was all together at the front with Dario, Morris and Michael setting tempo on the front of the bunch. With four guys in a break away it was perfect and along with BMC we could control the gap and ensure it didn't go out too much and then we could reel them back in.

Heading into the final 3km and the breakaway brought back it was Team Sky right at the front stringing out the peloton. Each and every team member gave it their all. That is a very special feeling knowing that seven other guys are committed 100% to helping you win, there is pressure but only from with in myself. I got guided perfectly by Michael followed by Froome, Wiggo, Geraint and then CJ and all I had to do was hold the blistering pace that the guys had set for me.

You don't really feel much in the last 200 or so meters, you are just focussed on that line and trying to get there as fast as possible. As soon as you reach it emotion comes out. You could tell just how special it was to the team as all the way down the home straight you could see a Team Sky rider with his hands up. It wasn't just my victory it was a victory for the whole team.

Ben

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