Alexander Vinokourov just couldn't help himself. Leading the Tour of Switzerland since regaining the overall lead in Tuesday's time trial, the Kazakh jumped with less than a kilometer to go in Wednesday's 152km final stage into Aarau and was caught 300 meters from the line.

It's not that he really needed the stage win. Second-place rider Francesco Casagrande (Lampre) didn't start the ninth and final stage due to high fever and a urinary infection and all Vinokourov had to do was finish safely in the main bunch to claim final victory.

"I tried to win the stage but I'm not disappointed at having failed," said the Telekom rider after coming across fifth behind stage-winner Baden Cooke (Fdjeux.com). "This victory shows that my progress is continuing. I've improved in the mountains and in the time trials."

Vinokourov's win caps what's been an emotional first half of the 2003 season for the 28-year-old. He won Paris-Nice back in March in the name of compatriot and fallen comrade Andrei Kivilev, who died after a crash in the second stage.

In April, he upset Lance Armstrong and Michael Boogerd at the Amstel Gold race. Now he has the prestigious Tour of Switzerland under his belt with all eyes on the Tour de France.

Telekom teammates Paolo Savoldelli and Santiago Botero will be among the frontrunners to challenge four-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong and the U.S. Postal team when the race begins next week.

1997 Tour champion Jan Ullrich finished seventh overall at 2:27 back as the troubled German star scrambles to find his top form in time for next week's Tour. Ullrich, who has already said he won't be racing the Tour to win, showed signs of life late in the Swiss tour, riding strongly in the final mountain stage and finishing third in Tuesday's time trial.

American Bobby Julich finished 19th overall at 11:06 back. Julich will miss the Tour for the first time since his 1997 Tour debut after his Telekom team left him off its nine-man roster.

The final stage from Staefa to Aarau was taken by Australian Cooke, who started his sprint and won ahead of Swiss rider Alexandre Moos (Phonak), with Julian Dean (CSC) of New Zealand in third.

Cooke won a sprint finish after 3 hours, 25 minutes, 41 seconds to come in just head of a bunched group of six riders including Vinokourov.

"I passed against the barriers and thankfully Vinokourov didn't close me out," Cooke said.