FREIRE WINS STAGE 2 AT TOUR OF ROMANDIE

Rabobank’s three-time world champ returns to form after early-season injury

Rabobank rider Oscar Freire won the second stage of the Tour de Romandie stage race in Switzerland Thursday. Riding his Giant TCR Advanced SL team bike, Freire topped Frantisek Rabon (Columbia-Highroad) and Assan Bazayev (Astana) in a sprint finish to win the 161.5-kilometer stage in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland.

Freire’s spring campaign was derailed by a crash in February’s Amgen Tour of California that left him with two broken ribs. After missing nearly two months, the three-time world champion returned to racing just three weeks ago and proved on Thursday that he’s back to top sprinting form.

Freire sits fifth overall in the Tour de Romandie’s general classification, 28 seconds behind overall leader Gregory Rast (Astana).