Roman Kreuziger became the first Czech to win the Tour of Switzerland with victory in the nine-day cycle race.

The 2004 junior world road race champion won the decisive mountain time trial stage on Saturday and sealed overall victory in Berne at the end of the final 168 km stage.

Swiss Fabian Cancellera finished first in the ninth and final stage with a late attack.

Germany's Andreas Kloden was second overall, 49 seconds behind Kreuziger and Spain's Igor Anton was third at 1:55.

"This is a big win for me," Kreuziger, 22, said afterwards. "I raced a lot in Switzerland during my amateur career and so it's great to win my first big stage race here.

"Two days ago I knew I had a chance of overall victory and now it's come true. I won thanks to the mountain time-trial, that's where I gained time on all my rivals.

"The final stage wasn't easy but it wasn't too bad because my team mates looked after me and protected me all the way to the finish."

Kreuziger will ride the Tour de France for the first time in July.

He will lead the Liquigas team but played down his chances of success in cycling's biggest stage race.

"I rode the Vuelta in 2007 but this will be the first time I ride the Tour de France," he said.

"I've always liked stage races and I'm going there to learn more about major stage racing. I'll take things day by day and if I'm still up there after 10 days I'll set myself a goal and then see what happens."

STAGE EIGHT

Roman Kreuziger won the eighth stage to seize the yellow jersey ahead of the final day.

He was first over the 25 kilometre time-trial in one hour and 22 seconds, in front of Venezuelan Jose Rujano, of the Caisse d'Epargne team, and Andreas Kloden, of Astana.

"This is the biggest [stage] win of my career," Kreuziger said. "I was very motivated after moving up to second overall on Friday and I gave it everything I had on the climb."

Kreuziger left Luxembourg's Kim Kirchen (High Road) standing in his wake, opening up three-minute-plus gap to take the coveted yellow jersey.

The Czech now has a commanding lead going into Sunday's ninth and final 168km stage to Swiss capital Bern and, barring any mishaps, is looking the favourite to land his first Pro Tour victory.

Kreuziger said: "There are a few climbs in the final stage but I think I've proved I'm going well and deserve to win."

Kreuziger, a former world junior champion, finished second in this year's Tour of Romandy behind Andreas Kloden.

STAGE SEVEN

Fabian Cancellara won the seventh stage with an audacious solo attack five kilometres from the finish.

The reigning world time-trial champion managed to open a gap and then held off the chasing peloton on the Gruyeres to Lyss stage.

Germany's Erik Zabel finished two seconds behind Cancellara and Australia's Robbie McEwen was third.

Luxembourg's Kim Kirchen finished in the main peloton and retained the overall race lead before Saturday's 25-km individual mountain time trial from summit of the Klausenpass.

Roman Kreuziger of the Czech Republic is second at 27 seconds back.

Cancellara won the prestigious Milan-San Remo one-day race in March and a stage in the 2007 Tour de France with a similar late attack. It was his seventh win of the 2008 season and the 44th success of his eight-year professional career.

"I wanted to win a stage in this year's race and now I've got one," Cancellara said.

"I live about 20 kilometres from Lyss and so it was nice to win with my daughter and parents watching me at the finish."

Cancellara won the prologue time trial in London and stage three at the 2007 Tour de France. He will be chasing stages in this year's Tour in July but is also targeting the time trial event at the Beijing Olympics in August.

"I'll be looking for more wins like this in the Tour de France but the Olympics is the big goal for me this year," he added.

The nine-day Tour of Switzerland ends in Berne on Sunday.

STAGE SIX

Luxembourg's Kim Kirchen won the sixth stage and took the overall race lead.

Kirchen showed his strength and composure in the tough Verbier climb, taking control of the race with 200 metres left to beat German Andreas Kloden (Astana) and the young Czech Roman Kreuziger (Liquigas).

The 29-year-old Kirchen, who notched up his 15th professional victory, now leads the standings by 27 seconds from Kreuziger and is 33 seconds ahead of Spain's Igor Anton (Euskaltel).

Kirchen is proving his versatility in the Tour - coming second in Saturday's first stage with a good sprint finish, while placing third in Sunday's high-altitude climb.

Maxim Iglinsky (Astana) was the first to attack in the 188km stage between Ambri and Verbier but was quickly closed down by a nine-man group led by Switzerland's David Loosli.

On the downward slope of Martigny that group increased to ten as Maarten Tjallingii of the Netherlands joined before an explosive last 20km.

Mathias Frank (Gerolsteiner) and Philip Deignan (AG2R) tried their luck on the Verbier rise, opening up a two-minute gap on the peloton.

But with 5km left Frank Schleck and Belgian Stijn Devolder made up the ground to ensure a close finish.

But it was Kirchen, keeping calm until the last stages of the race, who showed good leg power to finish the strongest.

STAGE FIVE:

Germany's Markus Fothen avoided a high-speed crash to win the 190km fifth stage of the Tour of Switzerland from Domat-Ems to Caslano.

The 26 year-old Gerolsteiner rider attacked alongside Frank Schleck Luxembourg on the twisting descent before the Team CSC man lost control on a corner and went over the crash barriers.

Fothen avoided crashing and stayed clear to record the fourth victory of his five-year professional career.

Schleck was not seriously hurt but finished several minutes back. Russia's Serguei Ivanov finished 50 seconds behind in second place with Markus Zberg of Switzerland bringing home the first group of chasers 57 seconds off the pace in third.

Spain's Igor Anton finished in the same time as Zberg to retain the overall race lead.

"I was lucky, I didn't hit Schleck and so didn't I crash," Fothen said.

"He was unlucky because it was a sweeping curve. He was leading, the curve got tighter and he took his foot out of the pedals because he knew he wasn't going to make it. I was on his inside and was okay but he went over the barriers."

"I'm sorry for him because we were working well together and wanted to finish together to gain as much time as possible on everybody else."

"It's a totally unexpected victory. When the early attack was pulled back I decided to attack. I had to fight for it and it was like playing roulette but it worked out and I won."

Leader Anton is six second clear of Luxembourg's Kim Kirchen in second while Oliver Zaugg of Switzerland is third at 18 seconds. Fothen moved up to seventh, 31 seconds behind Anton.

Thursday's 188-km sixth stage is from Ambri to Verbier and ends with a 15-km climb to the Swiss ski resort.

The Tour of Switzerland finishes in Berne on Sunday.

STAGE FOUR:

Australia's Robbie McEwen took his second consecutive stage victory in the Tour of Switzerland cycle race in Domat-Ems.

The 35-year-old from Brisbane was given another perfect lead-out by his Silence-Lotto team mates and held off his rivals in the sprint to the line at the end of the 171-km stage.

In an exact repeat on Monday's finish in Gossau, McEwen beat Spain's Oscar Freire and Gerald Ciolek of Germany was third.

Spaniard Igor Anton retained an overall six-second lead over Luxembourg's Kim Kirchen. Italy's Damiano Cunego is 12 seconds behind in third.

"This victory is for my Silence-Lotto team mates. They worked really hard for me again and we're going to celebrate with some champagne," McEwen told reporters.

"Wim Vansevenant and Maarten Tjallingii worked hard during the stage to bring the three breakaway riders back, then Pieter Jacobs took over and did a good job."

"The final kilometres were fast and a lot of teams wanted to control the sprint but Leif Hoste, Greg Van Avermaet and Jurgen Roelandts took over and gave me a perfect lead-out.

"I launched my sprint going into the last corner. It was a long sweeping corner and in the last 50 metres I was fading a bit but I had enough speed to hold off Freire and Griepel to win it."

McEwen exchanged strong words with race officials after the finish of Monday's stage and was almost kicked off the race, according to Swiss newspaper Blick. However, after Tuesday's win he said he liked racing in Switzerland.

It was his seventh stage victory in the race during his 13-year professional career.

"A newspaper said I should be go home and claimed I hate Switzerland but that's not true. I love racing in Switzerland and I love Switzerland, I've always done well here," McEwen told reporters.

The tour heads south towards the Italian border on Wednesday for the 190-km fifth stage to Caslano near Lugano.

The nine-day race ends in Berne on Sunday.

STAGE THREE:

Australia's Robbie McEwen showed he is on form for the Tour de France by winning stage three of the Tour of Switzerland in Gossau.

The 35-year-old from Brisbane had a perfect lead out from his Silence-Lotto team mates in the final kilometre of the rain-soaked stage and then accelerated clear in the final three hundred metres.

Spain's Oscar Freire was unable to match McEwen's late speed and finished second. Germany's Gerald Ciolek was third. Spaniard Igor Anton retained an overall six-second lead over Luxembourg's Kim Kirchen with Italy's Damiano Cunego a further six seconds in arrears in third.

"I usually have to look after myself in the sprints but this time I had some team mates to help me and it made a difference," McEwen said.

"We planned our tactics before the stage and they worked perfectly. Some of my team mates rode hard to bring back the three riders who attacked early on and then Leif Hoste and Greg Van Avermaet guided me to the finish."

"I accelerated a bit early, with almost three hundred metres to go, but I felt good and could see Freire out of the corner of my eye. I knew I was going to win."

It was only McEwen's second victory of the 2008 season but was the 141st victory of his 13-year professional career.

He struggled after a crash at the start of the season but was confident he can compete for stage victories in the Tour de France that starts on July 5.

"I haven't had a great season because I had a bad crash in February and others since then but I'm feeling good now," McEwen said.

"My team mate Cadel Evans will be going for the winner's yellow jersey at the Tour de France so I don't think we can go for the green points jersey as well but I think I can be competitive in the sprints."

McEwen will have a chance for another stage win at the Tour of Switzerland on Tuesday at the end of the 171km fourth stretch from Gossau to Domat-Ems.

The nine-day Tour of Switzerland ends on Sunday.

STAGE TWO:

Igor Anton took the lead in the Tour of Switzerland with a late attack on the climb to the stage two finish in Flumserberge.

The Euskaltel rider jumped away four hundred metres from the finish and quickly opened up a decisive gap.

He crossed the line six seconds ahead of Luxembourg's Kim Kirchen. Italy's Damiano Cunego was third, also at six seconds.

Anton could hardly stand up after his aggressive attack on the climb to the finish but was rewarded with the overall leader's yellow jersey.

He leads Kirchen by six seconds. Cunego is third overall at 12 seconds.

"I felt I had good legs on the climb and so was determined to have a go near the finish," Anton said.

"The final climb was tough and the rain made it even more difficult. I made sure I didn't lose contact when the other riders attacked and waited until the last few hundred metres.

"When I saw that the other riders were hesitating a bit I decided to go for it. I got a gap and just kept going."

The 10-kilometre climb to the finish of the second stage of the nine-day Tour of Switzerland gave a clear indication of the contenders for overall victory.

Luxembourg's Frank Schleck made several strong attacks with Belgian national champion Stijn Devolder. ProTour series leader Cunego led the chase after them before Anton made his successful late move.

The 25-year-old from the Basque Country has only won four races during his four-year professional career but hopes to compete with his bigger-name rivals for overall success in Switzerland.

"I'm going to try and do well overall but I know it won't be easy," Anton said.

"The route is very hard this year and there are lots of big-name riders in the race. I've got the leader's jersey now, so we'll see what happens day by day."

Monday's 155km third stage is from Flums to Gossau.

STAGE ONE:

Spain's Oscar Freire took the early lead at the Tour of Switzerland when he won the first stage around Langnau im Emmental.

The former road race world champion beat Switzerland's Martin Elmiger and Luxembourg's Kim Kirchen in a sprint finish.

The stage was dominated by a long attack by Spain's Inigo Landaluze and Swiss riders David Loosli and Steve Zampieri who went clear after 25 kilometres but were caught two kilometres from the finish.

The Gerolsteiner team led out the sprint but Rabobank rider Freire found a gap and accelerated clear to record his fourth victory of the 2008 season and the 61st of his 11-year professional career.

"The stage ended with a sprint but it wasn't an easy stage," Freire said. "Looking on the map it might have seemed relatively easy but the climbs were very hard.

"They weren't long but the final one was especially steep and I had dig deep and suffer to make sure I was up there for the sprint.

"The descent to the finish was fast but thanks to work from my Rabobank team mates we caught the three attackers two kilometres from the finish.

"After that I knew I had a great chance in the sprint and made sure I took advantage."

Freire pulled on the first race leader's yellow jersey after the stage and will wear it during Sunday's 197km second stage from Langnau im Emmental to Flumserberge.

Thanks to time bonuses awarded to the first three riders on each stage. Freire leads Elmiger by four seconds in the overall standings.

With the second stage ending on a 10-km climb, Freire predicted he will lose the leader's jersey because of the tough finish.

"It's far too hard a climb for me. I can climb a bit but not in the big mountains," he said.

"It's such a tough climb that I think whoever wins the stage can go on to win the Tour of Switzerland."

The nine-day race ends in Berne on Sunday June 22.

AFP / Reuters