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Tour de Suisse, Switzerland

11 - 19 June

Preview

Overall Map
Startlist
Photos

Stages
June 11, Stage 1, Schaffhausen - Weinfelden, 170K, Map
June 12, Stage 2, Weinfelden - Weinfelden TT, 36K, Map
June 13, Stage 3, Abtwil/Säntispark - St. Anton a.A., 160K, Map
June 14, Stage 4, Vaduz FL - Bad Zurzach, 205K, Map
June 15, Stage 5, Bad Zurzach - Altdorf UR, 176K, Map
June 16, Stage 6, Bürglen UR - Arosa, 156K, Map
June 17, Stage 7, Einsiedeln - Lenk, 182K, Map
June 18, Stage 8, Lenk - Verbier, 165K, Map
June 19, Stage 9, Ulrichen - Ulrichen, 100K, Map

 

The 69th Tour de Suisse is the last stop for many Tour de France contenders. It is a race that is often used for Tour build up, but also a prestigious race that is worthy in its own right. This year with the ProTour scheduling the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré and Tour de Suisse overlap by two days, forcing some favorites, like Lance Armstrong, to decide between the two. The list of winners in the Tour de Suisse is a who's-who among cycling greats, of course there is Eddy Merckx, but also names like Saronni, Hampsten, Kelly, Tonkov, Garzelli, Armstrong, Zülle, Vinokourov and last year's winner, Jan Ullrich.

This year will test the rider's legs over 8 road stages and a TT. The Tour de Suisse foregoes any parade-like prologue and gets directly down to business. The first stage of 170K to Weinfelden, should be a chance for the sprinters to shine. The TT masters will be seen at the back of the peloton, readying their legs for the following day. Stage 2 brings the only TT of the Tour, a 36K affair around Weinfelden. It will be no picnic and a chance to see who really has it for the Tour de France only 2 weeks later. Look for the T-Mobile and Phonak boys to throw down the gauntlet.

Any memories of the TT will be erased in Stage 3 to St. Anton. The stage will be a painful affair with a strong punch thrown at the end after 160K. The overall favorites might decide to hold off on the first mountain stage and allow a small group of lesser-knowns to stay away. Nonetheless, it will be a riveting stage.

Stages 4 and 5 allow the sprinters to shine once more. It will be the big sprint teams that are called upon to keep the breaks intact. Stage 5 into Altdorf appears to allow a chance for an explosive type of rider. A well timed attack could stay away over the small final Cat 3 climb. The sprinters will be radioing to their workers to keep an eye on every attack.

Stages 6, 7, and 8 are going to rid the peloton of any tag-a-longs. Oberalp pass features early on in stage 6 and will weaken the legs for the stage finish in Arosa. The Hors Category and a Cat 1 climbs should sort out the favorites for the tifosi. But the madness continues with stage 7. Looking sort of low-key, the long drive into Lenk may not give propel an overall winner, but it will drop a contender or two. Stage 8 will surely be the death-blow, providing all sorts of fireworks on the final slopes. From Lenk to Verbie there are two serious climbs, the famed Col du Pillon and then the mountain-top finish to Verbie. All questions will be answered on the Cat 2 finish and a champion will be awarded.

Stage 9 is going to put the team of the GC-Leader to the test. Overall victory will depend on the leader's team defending the jersey to the finish. The stage covers 3 feared passed in only 100K. From Ulrichen to Ulrichen, the riders will take in the Nufernen Pass, the Gotthard Pass and the Furka Pass ... all Hors Category. From the Furka Pass to the finish is a downhill run of 25K. Some 'unknown' could go on a hard attack on the Furka, put the GC leader into the red and swoop down to final overall glory in Ulrichen. Stay tuned to see just how it all unfolds from Stage 1 to 9, here on BiciRace.com.