Colombian Juan Mauricio Soler of Movistar won the second stage of the Tour of Switzerland, a 149km ride between Lugano and Crans-Montana, to take the race lead Sunday.
Soler attacked several times in the final few kilometres to come over the finish line around 12 secs ahead of Italian Damiano Cunego of Lampre and Luxemburger Frank Schleck, the defending race champion.
Overnight leader Fabian Cancellara of the Leopard-Trek team struggled to keep pace with the peloton early on the final climb and eventually finished with the 'grupetto', the struggling pack, minutes in arrears.
Soler, a former winner of the Tour de France's 'King of the Mountains' polka dot jersey, now leads Cunego by 16secs in the race's overall standings.
The third of nine stages on Monday, a 105km ride from Brig-Glis to Grindelwald, includes a category one and unclassified climb.