ADELBODEN, Switzerland, 17 June 2004 — South African Robert Hunter continued his promising pre-Tour de France form by winning the fifth stage of the Tour of Switzerland here yesterday.
The Rabobank team sprinter held off Brazilian Murilo Fischer and Michael Blaudzun of Denmark after 162km between Batterkinden and here to claim his second victory of the race, and his second at altitude.
T-Mobile’s Jan Ullrich, the 1997 Tour de France winner, retained the overall lead of the race which ends on Sunday.
Hunter’s audacious bid for his second win on the race has been indirectly helped by Ullrich’s loss of two important teammate, Alexandre Vinokourov and Tobias Steinhauser.
With the real climbing stages still to come, Ullrich’s T-Mobile team seem hesitant to chase down any ambitious breakaways.
Hunter took advantage to attack after just 33km of riding, and was soon joined by CSC’s Blaudzun and Domina Vacanze rider Fischer. Together they went on to build a lead of over 10 minutes as the climb to Adelboden approached. Their pursuers, led by the Quick Step team of Italy’s reigning World Cup champion Paolo Bettini, began their chase far too late and arrived at the finish over four minutes adrift of Hunter.
The 27-year-old South African, who seems to have flourished since joining the Dutch outfit from Lampre a little over a year and a half ago, is also flourishing on the steep ascents here.
But, he explained, it’s not all new: “Just before my move to the professional ranks I was a complete rider,” said Hunter.
