THIS WEEK IN PRO CYCLING
Dufaux wins stage, seizes Romandie lead
Swiss rider Laurent Dufaux (Alessio) took the overall jersey from Italian Simone Bertoletti in the Tour of Romandie on Friday when he won the third stage of the event between Moudon and Loeche-Les-Bains, a stage that was marred when Spaniard Francisco Perez Sanchez (Milanez) was mistakenly directed off the course in the final kilometers.
Dufaux and Perez Sanchez of Milaneza were credited with the same time and placing on the stage, with Swiss rider Fabian Jeker, also of Milaneza, second and Phonak's Alexandre Moos third.
Italian Giosue Bonomi (Saeco) was forced to pull out early in the 171.3km stage, and with 18km gone a lead pack of nine riders, led by Swiss Lampre rider Rubens Bertogliati, had split from the main group. Their escape did not last long, however, and 8km later the pack caught up again.
Defending champion Dario Frigo was struggling as the race headed towards the closing stages with the tightly bunched group led by Swiss rider Sven Montgomery.
With 15km to go Jeker tried to escape the group, but he was quickly caught and it was Perez Sanchez who made a powerful escape. He built a slender 11-second lead on Jeker, Dufaux and Moos, with CSC riders Hamilton and Sastre chasing.
With 3km to go, Perez Sanchez's lead was 20 seconds, but he was directed off the course in the final 2km, and the sprint went to Dufaux.
The Swiss now leads the event by just six seconds from countryman Moos with Perez Sanchez 14 seconds behind in third and Hamilton lurking another second further behind.
The next stage, on Saturday, is expected to be the toughest, even though it is one of the shortest at 146.5km, because the riders must take on several big mountains as they head from Monthey to Les Paccots.
