Spaniard Igor Anton pulled on the leader's yellow jersey after climbing to victory in Sunday's second stage of the Tour of Switzerland to the ski station of Flumserberg.
The Euskaltel rider crossed the line six seconds ahead of Luxembourg's Kim Kirchen of High Road, Italy's Damiano Cunego and CSC's Frank Schleck following the 197km run which finished in rain and freezing conditions at 1400m altitude.
Anton stuck with the favourites on the tough 10km final climb pulling ahead on the steep final slope with an 18 percent gradient. Germany's Andreas Kloden of Astana lost 30 seconds on the leaders after falling behind during the gruelling climb.
Swiss sprinter Martin Elmiger, winner of the 2007 Tour Down Under, had led a long breakaway from 37km building up a lead of 18 minutes near the halfway point before the peloton began to work.
At the foot of the Flumserberg climb, Elmiger's lead had been cut to just one minute.
Germany's Jens Voigt of CSC tried to break away preparing the way for an attack by Luxembourg's Schleck some 4km from the line. But Schleck could not maintain the pace allowing Swiss Oliver Zaugg of Gerolsteiner break through before Spanish climber Anton snuck through ahead of the favourites.