June 18, 2009 (Serfaus, Switzerland) – Sprint ace Mark Cavendish blasted to Columbia-Highroad Men’s fortieth win of the season and the team’s fourth victory in six days in the Tour de Suisse on Thursday. In the 178-kilometre stage from Oberriet to Bad Zurzach, Cavendish once again proved unstoppable in a bunch sprint, out-powering Oscar Freire of Spain for his 13th win of the season. Cavendish’s first place finish continues a run of victories for Team Columbia-Highroad, which has now netted 40 victories in 2009, more than any other team in professional cycling.

On Thursday alone, the team took two triumphs in one day: Cavendish’s victory in Switzerland coming alongside a stage win by fellow sprinter Andre Greipel in the Ster-Elektrotoer in Holland. The squad’s total of 40 victories puts Columbia-Highroad well on track to become the ProTour team with the highest tally of wins in a single season – for the second year running.

In the Tour de Suisse, Columbia-Highroad’s current tally has now reached four in six days, with wins by Bernhard Eisel on stage two, Cavendish on stage three and stage six, and Michael Albasini on stage five. “It’s getting tougher and tougher to win the stages, because not many teams have won and we really had to work hard to make sure we came through,” Cavendish said. “However, once again we’ve shown that when it comes to sprints Columbia-Highroad is the best team in the world.”

“There was a second category climb at the beginning of the stage and a head wind for most of the day. It made it a very hard day for me, but it was all worth it. I came to the Tour of Switzerland because it’s the best way to prepare for the Tour de France for me and because I wanted to do some climbs. So far it’s going very well.”

As for the Tour de France, with so many different riders winning Cavendish agreed that “we’ve got 15 guys who could do the Tour. The important thing is that all of the riders we take can adapt – either to work for me in the sprints or to help Kim Kirchen, for example, in the battle for the overall.”

Results

1. Kim Kirchen (Lux) Team Columbia-Highroad 4:56:41
2. Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas 0:02
3. Peter Velits (Svk) Team Milram 0:07
4. Olivier Zaugg (Swi) Liquigas
5. Eros Capecchi (Ita) Fuji-Servetto
6. Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team Saxo Bank
7. Rui Alberto Faria (Por) Caisse d’Epargne
8. Vladimir Karpets (Rus) Team Katusha
9. Tony Martin (Ger) Team Columbia-Highroad
10. Chris Anker Sörensen (Den) Team Saxo Bank
11. Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre-N.G.C.
12. Thomas Dekker (Ned) Silence-Lotto
13. Andreas Klöden (Ger) Astana
14. Tadej Valjavec (Slo) AG2R La Mondiale
15. Gustav Erik Larsson (Swe) Team Saxo Bank
16. Maxime Monfort (Bel) Team Columbia-Highroad
17. Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin-Slipstream 0:13
18. Tom Danielson (USA) Garmin-Slipstream
19. Rein Taaramae (Est) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne
20. Pieter Weening (Ned) Rabobank
21. Carlos Barredo (Spa) Quick Step
22. Sandy Casar (Fra) Française Des Jeux
23. Damien Monier (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne
24. Jussi Veikkanen (Fin) Française Des Jeux 0:20
25. George Hincapie (USA) Team Columbia-Highroad 0:30
26. Michael Albasini (Swi) Team Columbia-Highroad
27. Andy Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank 0:41
28. John Gadret (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:44
29. Paolo Tiralongo (Ita) Lampre-N.G.C. 0:48
30. Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Quick Step
31. Juan Jose Oroz Ugalde (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 0:50
32. Iker Camano (Spa) Fuji-Servetto 0:52
33. Robert Kiserlovsky (Cro) Fuji-Servetto
34. Inigo Cuesta (Spa) Cervélo TestTeam 0:57
35. Christian Vandevelde (USA) Garmin-Slipstream
36. Johannes Fröhlinger (Ger) Team Milram
37. Pablo Lastras Garcia (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
38. Jérémy Roy (Fra) Française Des Jeux
39. Yoann Offredo (Fra) Française Des Jeux 0:59
40. Brian Vandborg (Den) Liquigas
41. Ivan Velasco (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
42. Arnaud Gérard (Fra) Française Des Jeux 1:04
43. Linus Gerdemann (Ger) Team Milram 1:10
44. Ivan Santaromita (Swi) Liquigas
45. Jorge Azanza Soto (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 1:25
46. Daniel Moreno (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
47. Dmitry Kozontchouk (Rus) Rabobank 1:27
48. José Angel Gómez (Spa) Cervélo TestTeam 1:36
49. Leonardo Duque (Col) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne
50. Joan Horrach Rippoll (Spa) Team Katusha
51. Serguei Ivanov (Rus) Team Katusha 1:45
52. Luca Mazzanti (Ita) Team Katusha
53. Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Team Katusha
54. Heinrich Haussler (Ger) Cervélo TestTeam
55. Marcel Wyss (Swi) Cervélo TestTeam
56. Xavier Florencio Cabre (Spa) Cervélo TestTeam
57. Thomas Rohregger (Aut) Team Milram
58. Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) Silence-Lotto
59. Olivier Bonnaire (Fra) BBox Bouygues Telecom
60. Frédéric Guesdon (Fra) Française Des Jeux
61. Samuel Dumoulin (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne
62. Marcus Burghardt (Ger) Team Columbia-Highroad
63. Reto Hollenstein (Swi) Vorarlberg-Corratec
64. Andrey Amador Bikkazakova (CRc) Caisse d’Epargne
65. Steve Morabito (Swi) Astana
66. Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa) Rabobank
67. Hervé Duclos-Lassalle (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne
68. Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Quick Step
69. Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
70. Roman Kireyev (Kaz) Astana 2:03
71. Martijn Maaskant (Ned) Garmin-Slipstream 2:27
72. Steven De Jongh (Ned) Quick Step
73. Michael Schär (Swi) Astana 2:30
74. Nick Nuyens (Bel) Rabobank 2:50
75. Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Silence-Lotto
76. Vincent Jerome (Fra) BBox Bouygues Telecom 3:16
77. Aitor Galdos (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 5:11
78. Javier Aramendia Lorente (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
79. Brett Lancaster (Aus) Cervélo TestTeam
80. Andreas Klier (Ger) Cervélo TestTeam
81. David Loosli (Swi) Lampre-N.G.C.
82. Markel Irizar (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
83. Alexander Efimkin (Rus) AG2R La Mondiale
84. Nikita Eskov (Rus) Team Katusha
85. Branislau Samoilau (Bul) Quick Step
86. Davide Vigano (Ita) Fuji-Servetto
87. Renaud Dion (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 5:14
88. Stuart O’Grady (Aus) Team Saxo Bank
89. Matti Breschel (Den) Team Saxo Bank
90. Kurt Asle Arvesen (Nor) Team Saxo Bank
91. Gregory Rast (Swi) Astana
92. Maxim Iglinskiy (Kaz) Astana
93. Cameron Meyer (Aus) Garmin-Slipstream
94. Francis Mourey (Fra) Française Des Jeux
95. Daniele Bennati (Ita) Liquigas 5:18
96. Frank Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank
97. Peter Wrolich (Aut) Team Milram 5:43
98. Thor Hushovd (Nor) Cervélo TestTeam
99. Andreas Dietziker (Swi) Vorarlberg-Corratec 6:27
100. Ronny Scholz (Ger) Team Milram
101. Gerald Ciolek (Ger) Team Milram
102. Silvère Ackermann (Swi) Vorarlberg-Corratec 6:30
103. Alessandro Ballan (Ita) Lampre-N.G.C. 7:39
104. Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Lampre-N.G.C.
105. Serguei Klimov (Rus) Team Katusha
106. Emanuele Bindi (Ita) Lampre-N.G.C.
107. Pavel Brutt (Rus) Team Katusha
108. Damien Gaudin (Fra) BBox Bouygues Telecom
109. Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Team Columbia-Highroad 0:14:23
110. Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team Columbia-Highroad
111. Fabio Sabatini (Ita) Liquigas
112. Claudio Corioni (Ita) Liquigas
113. Paul Martens (Ger) Rabobank
114. Björn Schröder (Ger) Team Milram
115. Martin Elmiger (Swi) AG2R La Mondiale
116. Hubert Schwab (Swi) Quick Step
117. Josef Benetseder (Aut) Vorarlberg-Corratec
118. Sébastian Siedler (Ger) Vorarlberg-Corratec
119. Dimitriy Muravyev (Kaz) Astana
120. René Weissinger (Ger) Vorarlberg-Corratec
121. Lloyd Mondory (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
122. Florent Brard (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne
123. Yuriy Krivtsov (Ukr) AG2R La Mondiale
124. Wilfried Cretskens (Bel) Silence-Lotto
125. Johan Van Summeren (Bel) Silence-Lotto
126. Huub Duyn (Ned) Garmin-Slipstream
127. Francis De Greef (Bel) Silence-Lotto
128. Steve Chainel (Fra) BBox Bouygues Telecom
129. Daniel Oss (Ita) Liquigas
130. Yauheni Hutarovich (Blr) Française Des Jeux
131. Jean Eudes Demaret (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne
132. Chris Sutton (Aus) Garmin-Slipstream
133. Maryan Hary (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne
134. William Frischkorn (USA) Garmin-Slipstream
135. Said Haddou (Fra) BBox Bouygues Telecom
136. Andres Sergio De Lis (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
137. Mickael Delage (Fra) Silence-Lotto
138. Pieter Jacobs (Bel) Silence-Lotto
139. Wouter Weylandt (Bel) Quick Step
140. Juan Jose Cobo (Spa) Fuji-Servetto
141. Jose Alberto Benitez (Spa) Fuji-Servetto
142. Dominique Cornu (Bel) Quick Step
143. Mathieu Sprick (Fra) BBox Bouygues Telecom
144. Lars Boom (Ned) Rabobank
145. Matthew Hayman (Aus) Rabobank
146. Hilton Clarke (Aus) Fuji-Servetto
147. Tom Leezer (Ned) Rabobank
148. José Vicente Garcia Acosta (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
149. Pascal Hungerbühler (Swi) Vorarlberg-Corratec
DNF Marlon Alirio Perez (Col) Caisse d’Epargne
DNF Francesco Gavazzi (Ita) Lampre-N.G.C.
DNF Massimiliano Mori (Ita) Lampre-N.G.C.
DNS Koldo Fernandez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
DNS Thomas Voeckler (Fra) BBox Bouygues Telecom

GC after Stage 7

1. Tadej Valjavec (Slo) AG2R La Mondiale 28:07:15
2. Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team Saxo Bank 0:09
3. Olivier Zaugg (Swi) Liquigas 0:14
4. Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas 0:31
5. Andreas Klöden (Ger) Astana 0:45
6. Tony Martin (Ger) Team Columbia-Highroad 0:51
7. Maxime Monfort (Bel) Team Columbia-Highroad 0:55
8. Gustav Erik Larsson (Swe) Team Saxo Bank 0:56
9. Vladimir Karpets (Rus) Team Katusha 1:01
10. Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre-N.G.C. 1:02
11. Kim Kirchen (Lux) Team Columbia-Highroad 1:07
12. Rein Taaramae (Est) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 1:08
13. Michael Albasini (Swi) Team Columbia-Highroad 1:28
14. Andy Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank 1:41
15. Chris Anker Sörensen (Den) Team Saxo Bank 1:56
16. Peter Velits (Svk) Team Milram 1:58
17. Damien Monier (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 2:13
18. George Hincapie (USA) Team Columbia-Highroad 2:15
19. Robert Kiserlovsky (Cro) Fuji-Servetto 2:24
20. Rui Alberto Faria (Por) Caisse d’Epargne 2:49
21. Sandy Casar (Fra) Française Des Jeux
22. Thomas Dekker (Ned) Silence-Lotto 2:58
23. Carlos Barredo (Spa) Quick Step
24. Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin-Slipstream 3:02
25. Jussi Veikkanen (Fin) Française Des Jeux 3:08
26. Tom Danielson (USA) Garmin-Slipstream
27. Pieter Weening (Ned) Rabobank 3:09
28. John Gadret (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 3:13
29. Eros Capecchi (Ita) Fuji-Servetto 3:22
30. Daniel Moreno (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne 3:32
31. Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Quick Step 3:35
32. Iker Camano (Spa) Fuji-Servetto 3:41
33. Thomas Rohregger (Aut) Team Milram 3:42
34. Steve Morabito (Swi) Astana 3:52
35. Jérémy Roy (Fra) Française Des Jeux 3:54
36. Brian Vandborg (Den) Liquigas 4:14
37. Ivan Velasco (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 4:34
38. José Angel Gómez (Spa) Cervélo TestTeam 4:35
39. Paolo Tiralongo (Ita) Lampre-N.G.C. 4:45
40. Xavier Florencio Cabre (Spa) Cervélo TestTeam 5:25
41. Luca Mazzanti (Ita) Team Katusha 5:57
42. Michael Schär (Swi) Astana 6:08
43. Frank Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank 6:19
44. Reto Hollenstein (Swi) Vorarlberg-Corratec 6:27
45. Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne 6:37
46. Ivan Santaromita (Swi) Liquigas 6:48
47. Marcus Burghardt (Ger) Team Columbia-Highroad 7:29
48. Joan Horrach Rippoll (Spa) Team Katusha 7:33
49. Linus Gerdemann (Ger) Team Milram 8:03
50. Cameron Meyer (Aus) Garmin-Slipstream 8:35
51. Frédéric Guesdon (Fra) Française Des Jeux 8:47
52. Vincent Jerome (Fra) BBox Bouygues Telecom 9:13
53. Maxim Iglinskiy (Kaz) Astana 9:40
54. Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Quick Step 10:15
55. Andrey Amador Bikkazakova (CRc) Caisse d’Epargne 11:33
56. Markel Irizar (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 11:48
57. Alexander Efimkin (Rus) AG2R La Mondiale 11:52
58. Juan Jose Oroz Ugalde (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 11:58
59. Francis Mourey (Fra) Française Des Jeux 13:00
60. Branislau Samoilau (Bul) Quick Step 13:46
61. Pablo Lastras Garcia (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne 13:54
62. Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Team Katusha 15:11
63. Johannes Fröhlinger (Ger) Team Milram 15:32
64. Inigo Cuesta (Spa) Cervélo TestTeam 16:23
65. Javier Aramendia Lorente (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 16:34
66. Juan Jose Cobo (Spa) Fuji-Servetto 16:44
67. Marcel Wyss (Swi) Cervélo TestTeam 16:52
68. David Loosli (Swi) Lampre-N.G.C. 17:37
69. Roman Kireyev (Kaz) Astana 19:12
70. Gerald Ciolek (Ger) Team Milram 19:48
71. Dmitry Kozontchouk (Rus) Rabobank 19:49
72. Pavel Brutt (Rus) Team Katusha 20:23
73. Yoann Offredo (Fra) Française Des Jeux 20:27
74. Peter Wrolich (Aut) Team Milram 20:40
75. Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa) Rabobank 20:50
76. Serguei Ivanov (Rus) Team Katusha 21:23
77. Dominique Cornu (Bel) Quick Step 22:09
78. Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) Silence-Lotto 0:22:17
79. Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Lampre-N.G.C. 22:49
80. Jorge Azanza Soto (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 23:15
81. Kurt Asle Arvesen (Nor) Team Saxo Bank 23:45
82. Olivier Bonnaire (Fra) BBox Bouygues Telecom 24:32:00
83. Leonardo Duque (Col) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 24:44:00
84. Johan Van Summeren (Bel) Silence-Lotto 24:57:00
85. Ronny Scholz (Ger) Team Milram 25:28:00
86. Francis De Greef (Bel) Silence-Lotto 26:25:00
87. Andreas Dietziker (Swi) Vorarlberg-Corratec 26:35:00
88. Samuel Dumoulin (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 26:51:00
89. Martin Elmiger (Swi) AG2R La Mondiale 27:51:00
90. Heinrich Haussler (Ger) Cervélo TestTeam 30:13:00
91. Nikita Eskov (Rus) Team Katusha 30:49:00
92. Renaud Dion (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 31:23:00
93. Dimitriy Muravyev (Kaz) Astana 32:00:00
94. Pascal Hungerbühler (Swi) Vorarlberg-Corratec 32:39:00
95. Davide Vigano (Ita) Fuji-Servetto 33:25:00
96. Matti Breschel (Den) Team Saxo Bank 33:28:00
97. Hubert Schwab (Swi) Quick Step 33:52:00
98. Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Team Columbia-Highroad 34:55:00
99. Huub Duyn (Ned) Garmin-Slipstream 35:02:00
100. Paul Martens (Ger) Rabobank 35:20:00
101. Hervé Duclos-Lassalle (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 35:30:00
102. Alessandro Ballan (Ita) Lampre-N.G.C. 35:38:00
103. Maryan Hary (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 35:58:00
104. Lloyd Mondory (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 36:09:00
105. Christian Vandevelde (USA) Garmin-Slipstream 36:30:00
106. Gregory Rast (Swi) Astana 36:45:00
107. Nick Nuyens (Bel) Rabobank 38:26:00
108. Daniele Bennati (Ita) Liquigas 38:36:00
109. Thor Hushovd (Nor) Cervélo TestTeam 38:46:00
110. Silvère Ackermann (Swi) Vorarlberg-Corratec 39:11:00
111. Mickael Delage (Fra) Silence-Lotto 39:33:00
112. Andreas Klier (Ger) Cervélo TestTeam 41:11:00
113. Aitor Galdos (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 42:32:00
114. Said Haddou (Fra) BBox Bouygues Telecom 47:52:00
115. Steve Chainel (Fra) BBox Bouygues Telecom 48:02:00
116. Yauheni Hutarovich (Blr) Française Des Jeux 48:08:00
117. Yuriy Krivtsov (Ukr) AG2R La Mondiale 48:12:00
118. Arnaud Gérard (Fra) Française Des Jeux 48:54:00
119. Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team Columbia-Highroad 48:55:00
120. Björn Schröder (Ger) Team Milram 50:31:00
121. Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Silence-Lotto 50:56:00
122. Brett Lancaster (Aus) Cervélo TestTeam 52:03:00
123. William Frischkorn (USA) Garmin-Slipstream 52:12:00
124. Stuart O’Grady (Aus) Team Saxo Bank 53:07:00
125. Jean Eudes Demaret (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 53:38:00
126. Serguei Klimov (Rus) Team Katusha 55:29:00
127. Damien Gaudin (Fra) BBox Bouygues Telecom 55:43:00
128. Chris Sutton (Aus) Garmin-Slipstream 57:23:00
129. Mathieu Sprick (Fra) BBox Bouygues Telecom 57:47:00
130. Pieter Jacobs (Bel) Silence-Lotto 58:17:00
131. Emanuele Bindi (Ita) Lampre-N.G.C. 58:18:00
132. Steven De Jongh (Ned) Quick Step 59:11:00
133. Martijn Maaskant (Ned) Garmin-Slipstream 59:14:00
134. René Weissinger (Ger) Vorarlberg-Corratec 1:01:41
135. Matthew Hayman (Aus) Rabobank 1:01:48
136. Florent Brard (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 1:01:56
137. Claudio Corioni (Ita) Liquigas 1:02:43
138. Daniel Oss (Ita) Liquigas 1:02:48
139. Fabio Sabatini (Ita) Liquigas 1:03:05
140. Wilfried Cretskens (Bel) Silence-Lotto 1:03:24
141. Tom Leezer (Ned) Rabobank 1:04:24
142. José Vicente Garcia Acosta (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne 1:08:07
143. Wouter Weylandt (Bel) Quick Step 1:11:16
144. Sébastian Siedler (Ger) Vorarlberg-Corratec 1:11:23
145. Lars Boom (Ned) Rabobank 1:11:55
146. Andres Sergio De Lis (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 1:12:05
147. Jose Alberto Benitez (Spa) Fuji-Servetto 1:12:35
148. Hilton Clarke (Aus) Fuji-Servetto 1:12:53
149. Josef Benetseder (Aut) Vorarlberg-Corratec 1:14:49