Giovanni Lombardi(Acqua & Sapone) won the first stage of the Tour de Romandie on Wednesday, a 187-kilometer ride from Geneve to Malleray-Bevilard, taking a bunch sprint on a wet and cold day in Switzerland.

Lombardi, who used to be the set-up man for Erik Zabel for many years at Telekom, is now doing the same thing for Mario Cipollini.

Lombardi says his return to an Italian team "makes it easier to communicate," adding that working for Cipo "is an honor. He's the best sprinter in cycling."

Cipollini skipped the race because of a cold, opening the door for his reliable lead-out man to earn his own moment in the sun... sort of.

On a day that will probably be most remembered for its foul weather, the nasty conditions forced several riders, including Danilo Di Luca and Markus Zberg, to pull out. Meanwhile Swiss favorite Alex Zülle lost 1:13 after flatting with just 7km to go.

The overall leaders stayed the same as the group came in for a bunch sprint.

Rik Verburgghe (Lotto), the winner of Tuesday's opening prologue, finished with the first group to retain the leader's jersey. The Tour de Romandie continues Thursday with the 172-km second stage from Bellelay to Charmey.