The "race of the truth" (which really lived up to such a nickname in this case), covering 7.6 kms from Naters to Blatten, in the "homeland" of Phonak's Alexander Moos and 1980s pro rider Robert Dill-Bundi, and averaging a gradient of about 9%, got underway at 0130 PM local time, with Hungarian red lantern Gabriella Palotai (team Fanini Velo) as first starter. Unsurprisingly there were many changes atop the leaderboard in the early part of the stage, until American Grace Fleury established the excellent time of 30'10"42, and retained the lead for close to fifty minutes, before another English-speaking contender, Australian Lorian Graham, crossed the line and bettered her time by about 22 seconds. But her joy didn't last long, as Denmark's Lise Horslund Christensen (team Bianchi-Aliverti) came and set a time of 29'31"30. Later on it was the turn of Italian Barbara Lancioni (Team Lazio Ciclismo), the top finisher from the host country, to steal the top spot with a good 29'13"62.

Needless to say, as the stage progressed and the top-placed riders overall made it to the line, the times got better and better. Kiwi Sarah Ulmer (team SATS) didn't have room for putting in one of the attacks she got us accustomed to, but nonetheless found the way to hit the headlines with a great time of 28'10"25. But she had her hopes for vic