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Faria da Costa wins 8th stage

Switzerland - Portugal's Rui Faria da Costa of the Caisse d'Epargne team won the eighth and penultimate stage of the Tour of Switzerland on Saturday over 172km between Wetzikon and Liestal.

The 23-year-old finished 15sec ahead of team-mate Jose Gil Rojas with Belgian Maxime Monfort of HTC Columbia 19sec off the pace.

Dutch rider Robert Gesink of Rabobank holds the leader's yellow jersey with one day's racing left after finishing in the peloton over a minute behind the winner.

Gesink holds a 29sec lead on Colombian Rigoberto Uran with Swiss Steve Morabito at 36sec. Luxembourg's Frank Schleck is fourth at 38sec; with seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong seventh overall at 55sec and Andy Schleck 11th at 1min 40sec.

Faria da Costa made a break some 9km from the line, leaving his break-away companions Monfort, Rojas and Sandy Casar behind.

Former Luxembourg national champion Kim Kirchen was admitted to hospital in Zurich before the stage after suffering a heart scare, his Katusha team said.

Kirchen, who finished seventh overall in the 2007 Tour de France, was well off the pace of leader Gesink.

After complaining of the problem on Friday, Kirchen was sent to hospital and was kept in overnight.

"He felt bad so the team doctor sent him to hospital," said team sports director Serge Parsani.

"He already had a similar kind of problem two or three months ago. We don't know (what the diagnosis is)."

Results Saturday from the eighth stage of the Tour of Switzerland, a 172.4-kilometer trek from Wetzikon to Liestal:

1. Rui Da Costa, Portugal, Caisse d'Epargne, 4 hours, 10 minutes, 32 seconds.

2. Jose Joaquin Rojas, Spain, Caisse d'Epargne, 15 seconds behind.

3. Maxime Monfort, Belgium, HTC-Columbia, :19.

4. Sandy Casar, France, Francaise des Jeux, :34.

5. Alessandro Vanotti, Italy, Liquigas, same time.

6. Lars Petter Nordhaug, Norway, Team Sky, same time.

7. Tom Danielson, United States, Garmin, :39.

8. Daniele Pietropolli, Italy, Lampre, 1:14.

9. Thor Hushovd, Norway, Cervelo, 1:16.

10. Robert Gesink, Netherlands, Rabobank, same time. ^Also=

14. Lance Armstrong, United States, RadioShack, same time.

16. Frank Schleck, Luxembourg, Saxo Bank, same time. ^Overall Standings= ^(After eight stages)=

1. Robert Gesink, Netherlands, Rabobank, 34 hours, 27 minutes, 47 seconds.

2. Rigoberto Uran, Colombia, Caisse d'Epargne, 29 seconds behind.

3. Steve Morabito, Switzerland, BMC Racing Team, :36.

4. Frank Schleck, Luxembourg, Saxo Bank, :38

5. Joaquim Rodriguez Oliver, Spain, Katusha, :42.

6. Matteo Carrara, Italy, Vacansoleil, :54.

7. Lance Armstrong, United States, RadioShack, :55.

8. Olivier Zaugg, Switzerland, Liquigas, 1:01.

9. Jacob Fuglsang, Denmark, Saxo Bank, 1:17.

10. Thomas Lovkvist, Sweden, Sky Team, 1:38.


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