LEYSIN (Switzerland) (AFP) - Pavel Brutt of Team Katusha won the 172.6 km first stage of the Tour de Romandie between the south-western Swiss towns of Martigny and Leysin on Wednesday to take the race leader's yellow jersey. Ukrainian Oleksandr Kuachuk crossed the finishing line 56 seconds behind the Russian, with Branislau Samoilau of Belarus in third place. Australian champion Jack Bobridge came fourth, a few seconds behind, after the four riders staged an early break way, leaving the main peloton trailing some two minutes behind by the time it crossed the finishing line. The quartet led by as much as 12 minutes on the winding roads into the Alpine foothills and a final push by the Liquigas and Astana teams under the driving rain failed to reel in the breakaway. Brutt opened up a decisive lead in the final climb into Leysin leaving his immediate challengers trailing. The chasing peloton came in 2min 03sec behind the new race leader, who took over from prologue winner Jonathan Castroviejo of Euskaltel. Brutt's win on the hilliest of the five stages through western Switzerland gives the Russian a serious option on overall victory, although he was quick to play down his ambitions.