"Until today my biggest victory was winning the world junior Time Trial. But this is even more beautiful," Kreuziger said.

 

"But it ain't over, I didn't win the overall yet. There is one more stage with a few climbs and Klöden can go on the attack."

 

The young talent from Liquigas continued by saying: "Fortunaley I have a good team and a lead of 50 seconds. Normally I would only ride here to prepare for the Tour. But as the race developed I felt that I could win." 

 

"The Tour? It will be my first start, so I will mainly ride it to learn," Kreuziger concluded.

 

Andreas Klöden rode strong as well. Klöden finished third and is now second overall. "Klödi had a good day. The winner was just a little better," commented  Astana's sports director Viatcheslav 'Eki' Ekimov post race. "We were giving him time checks and race information along the way but unfortunately his radio wasn’t working properly. The best he could have done today was take the stage…the overall was a little out of reach."

 

Fränk Schleck, Jens Voigt and Andy Schleck  (all 3 riding with Team CSC Saxo Bank) all made the top-10 with fifth, sixth and ninth places respectively and they once again demonstrated that the form is as it should be exactly two weeks ahead of Tour de France.

"Today was great. Fränk is very strong at the moment. In spite of being in pain more or less all over he showed great class today and took a fifth place in a tough stage, and Jens also underlined the fact that the mountain time trial he did in the Giro was no fluke. Andy also did really well, we'd hoped he would make the podium, but still he did good out there," said Team CSC Saxo Bank sports director Kim Andersen.

 

Damiano Cunego (Lampre) came in fourth (54 seconds behind Kreuziger) and is also fourth overall, 2:11 behind Kreuziger.

 

"We're very happy with Cunego's performance - Piovani, Lampre's sport director, said - Damiano showed that his pace on climbs is good and it will get better in the coming weeks because Cunego's condition will increase. Cunego pedalled on normal bike, with light wheels, and he could keep a constant pace that allowed him to realize a good time."

 

After a strong performance Christian Knees (Milram) is nineth overall now. A position where nobody had expected the German rider from Cologne. The winner of the 2006 edition of Rund um Köln clocked 1:03:22, enough to finish eleventh in yesterday's stage.

 

In his daily diary on christianknees.de, Knees said: "I felt really well today. Not untill the last five kilometres it became really difficult for me. The climb became once more steeper and I noticed that I was getting slower. It just didn't work anymore. I have really suffered the final kilometres and only thought about the fact that I want to defend my superb place. So I gave all I had."

 

Knees was passed by Damiano Cunego with 800 metres to go but that didn't really bather the 27 year old rider from Cologne. Knees said: "I am really satisfied with my result."

 

The Tour de Suisse will continue today with the 168 kilometres long 9th and final stage. Its a hilly stage from Altdorf to the Swiss capital, Bern. The course goes up and down and in the final part of the race the riders will face two fourth category climbs. Although the overall is probebly decided Friday' seventh stage showed that on hilly stages like these, the overall favourites might try something. Click here to see the profile of stage 9.