Costa wins third Swiss Tour

Paris - Portugal's Rui Costa won the Tour of Switzerland title for an unprecedented third time in a row on Sunday after winning the ninth and final stage.

Costa, 27, crossed 14sec ahead of Dutch rider Bauke Mollema with Swiss Mathias Frank 24sec off the pace following the 156.5km run between Martigny and Saas Fee.

The world time-trial champion, who finished third in the Tour of Romandie last month, sets himself up as a candiate for the Tour de France which starts on July 5.

Results after the ninth and final stage of the Tour of Switzerland, a 156.7km ride from Martigny-Ville to Saas-Fee on Sunday:

Stage

1. Rui Costa (POR/LAM) 4hr 13min 14sec (average: 37.1 km/h), 2. Bauke Mollema (NED/BKN) at 0:14sec, 3. Mathias Frank (SWI/IAM) 0:24, 4. Steve Morabito (SUI/BMC) 0:47, 5. Oliver Zaugg (SWI/TIN) 0:47, 6. Andr Cardoso (POR/GRM) 1:28, 7. Jeremy Roy (FRA/FDJ) 1:41, 8. Marcel Wyss (SWI/IAM) 1:48, 9. Tom Dumoulin (NED/GIA) 2:18, 10. Roman Kreuziger (CZE/TIN) 2:18

Overall

1. Rui Costa (POR/LAM) 33h 08min 35sec, 2. Mathias Frank (SUI/IAM) at 0:33, 3. Bauke Mollema (NED/BKN) 0:50, 4. Tony Martin (GER/OPQ) 1:13, 5. Tom Dumoulin (NED/GIA) 2:04, 6. Steve Morabito (SUI/BMC) 2:47, 7. Davide Formolo (ITA/CAN) 3:00, 8. Roman Kreuziger (CZE/TIN) 3:03, 9. Janier Acavedo (COL/GRM) 3:20, 10. Eros Capecchi (ITA/MOV) 3:46