Michael Albasini (Liquigas) seized the lead of the Tour de Romandie on Wednesday as Maxim Iglinsky (Astana) won stage 1, a 182km grind from Morges to Saignelégier.

The Liquigas man, third in Tuesday's prologue and second today ahead of Markus Zberg (Gerolsteiner), proved fastest of an elite group that chased down a late breakaway by Alexandre Botcharov (Crédit Agricole), Mikel Astarloza (Euskaltel-Euskadi) and Jussi Veikkanen (Française des Jeux) on the descent from the category-1 climb to Saulcy.

Michael Albasini moves into the lead

Photo: Graham Watson

"I managed to be ahead, to avoid falling in a tight final," Albasini said. "I would have preferred to win the stage, but we cannot win every time."

Iglinsky, meanwhile, was delighted with his victory, his first of the season and his sixth as a pro.

"I am so happy with the confidence that the team gave me today," he said. "My personal ambitions for the next days are the team ambitions. In theory, Andreas Klöden is our leader. We will know more after the time trial."

Morris Possoni (High Road), Patxi Vila Errandonea (Lampre) and Matti Breschel (CSC) got away at 10km

Photo: Graham Watson

It wasn't exactly your typical stage 1. The stage featured two category-2 climbs before the grind to Saulcy, with its ramps as steep as 15 percent. And with rain pelting down at the start and snow reported at the finish, the peloton seemed eager to get the day's work over and done with, cranking out the first hour at 45km/h.

Three riders went clear at 10km: Matti Breschel (CSC), Morris Possoni (High Road) and Patxi Vila Errandonea (Lampre). The trio quickly built a lead, taking 40 seconds in 5km and nearly two minutes at 35km, with Danilo Wyss (BMC) trying to bridge.

As Wyss dangled in no-man’s land, the threesome continued to build their advantage. At 50km, the break had 1:50 over the BMC rider and eight on the bunch.

Danilo Wyss (BMC) spent a wet day trying to bridge

Photo: Graham Watson

But 15km later, the peloton came to life and started taking time back, albeit gradually.

Wyss had been retrieved as the break hit the Côte des Bugnenets at 94.4km, with Vila summiting ahead of Possoni and Breschel. The peloton crossed 7:40 later.

The same order prevailed as the break cleared the the Côte de La Cibourg at 108.9km. But the gap was coming steadily down — at 117km it was 5:20 and falling.

Possoni led the break past the first sprint point at Le Noirmont, at 122.3km, with Vila second and Breschel third. The bunch was closer yet, summiting at 4:50 back.

With 30km to race, as the break hit the base of the climb to Saulcy, the peloton was just three minutes behind, with Rabobank and Liquigas on the front.

The peloton picks up the pace

Photo: Graham Watson

With the pressure on, Breschel was the first to pop, falling off the break in the first hairpin corner. Behind, race leader Mark Cavendish (Team High Road) was also in trouble, finding himself dropped on the first ramps.

Then, as the gap dipped to less than two minutes, Rabobank teammates Denis Menchov and Thomas Dekker put the hammer down, trimming the chase to just nine riders.

Botcharov takes a dig

Photo: Graham Watson

With 22km to race, Vila and Possoni held a 90-second advantage over the Menchov-Dekker chase, which included Oliver Zaugg (Gerolsteiner), Vladimir Gusev (Astana), Astarloza, Botcharov and Lampre teammates Roman Kreuziger, Manuel Beltran and Sylvester Szymd.

Possoni led Vila past the second sprint, La Joux at 166.7km. Behind, perhaps not liking the odds, with three Lampres in the chase, Astarloza went it alone, launching a solo pursuit of the two escapees.

But his bid came to naught, and as Astarloza and the break were retrieved, Botcharov attacked out of the chase, quickly taking a 12-second gap over a bunch that was swelling on the descent, to some 20 riders, among them Dekker, Menchov, Andreas Klöden and Iglinsky (Astana), Sandy Casar (Française des Jeux), Jens Voigt (CSC), Vladimir Efimkin (Quick Step), John Gadret (Ag2r), Albasini and Markus Zberg (Gerolsteiner).

The chase group reeled the Russian back in, but then Botcharov attacked again with 4km to go, this time joined by Astarloza and chased by Veikkanen.

Nothing doing. This trio, too, was caught, and the lead group began setting up for a sprint finish.

Dekker jumped first, but it was Iglinsky who crossed the line first ahead of Albasini and Markus Zberg (Gerolsteiner). Albasini, third in Tuesday’s prologue, slipped into the leader’s yellow jersey.

Tour de Normandie
Stage 1
1. Maxim Iglinsky (Kaz), Astana, 182km in 4:47:28
2. Michael Albasini (Swi), Liquigas, same time
3. Markus Zberg (Swi), Gerolsteiner, s.t.
4. Thomas Dekker (Ned), Rabobank, s.t.
5. Alexander Efimkin (Rus), Quick Step, s.t.
6. Andreas Klöden (G), Astana, s.t.
7. Oliver Zaugg (Swi), Gerolsteiner, s.t.
8. Jens Voigt (G), CSC, s.t.
9. Roman Kreuziger (Cze), Liquigas, s.t.
10. Bernhard Kohl (A), Gerolsteiner, s.t.

Overall
1. Michael Albasini (Swi), Liquigas 4:49:30
2. Maxim Iglinsky (Kaz), Astana, at 0:01
3. Markus Zberg (Swi), Gerolsteiner, at 0:08
4. Roman Kreuziger (Cze), Liquigas, s.t.
5. Thomas Dekker (Ned), Rabobank, at 0:09
6. Oscar Pereiro Sio (Sp), Caisse d’Epargne, at 0:10
7. Mikel Astarloza Chaurreau (Sp), Euskaltel-Euskadi, s.t.
8. Jussi Veikkanen (Fin), Française des Jeux, s.t.
9. Andreas Klöden (G), Astana, s.t.
10. Thomas Frei (Swi), Astana, at 0:11