The Tour de Suisse 2021 kicks off with the Premiere of the TdS Women while the men’s program includes a fast time trial, spectacular sprint finishes and a series of the most challenging mountain stages in recent history, including a mountain time trial.
On Saturday 5 June, the starting signal will sound for the Premiere of the TdS Women in Frauenfeld (TG). The first edition of the women’s professional race features a hilly stage on Saturday and a fast circuit on Sunday.
Competitors from the 23 men’s teams will start the 84th edition of the Tour de Suisse on Sunday 6 June in Frauenfeld with an Individual Time Trial. This year’s TdS heads counterclockwise to the Lake Zurich region, across the Mittelland into Valais and, to crown it all, into the heart of the Alps.
The Tour de Suisse 2021 culminates in a brilliant Queen Stage.
With the Susten Pass closed at the time of the TdS, the Queen Stage will now lead from Andermatt over the Oberalp Pass, the Lukmanier into the Laventina and via the Gotthard Pass back to Andermatt.
It is safe to assume that the Tour de Suisse 2021 will remain exciting and undecided until the very last day.
Impressive field of competitors with a large Swiss contingent
Expected to line up for the start of the TdS 2021 in Frauenfeld are top international stars, many Swiss hopefuls, a selection of the Swiss National Team (Team Swiss Cycling) and, for the first time in the history of the Tour de Suisse, the women’s field (TdS Women).
The provisional line-up for the 84th edition of the Tour de Suisse includes such illustrious names as reigning world champion Julien Alaphilippe (Deceunick-Quickstep), Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) – multiple cyclo-cross world champion and classic winner, 2019 Giro winner Richard Carapaz (INEOS Grenadiers), 2x Paris-Nice winner Maximilian Schachmann (BORA-hansgrohe), and Denmark’s Jakob Fuglsang (Astana Premier Tech), who has already finished twice on the podium of the TdS.
In addition, former Giro winner Tom Dumoulin (Jumbo-Visma) is planning his long-awaited comeback in Switzerland.
From a Swiss perspective, there are more local riders on the start line than ever before.
Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ) – winner of both time trial disciplines and first to don the yellow jersey in 2018 – will also start this year with great expectations. He will have strong local competition in the race against the clock from Stefan Bissegger (EF Nippo), another rider from Thurgau. The chance that a Swiss rider will start the first stage in the yellow leader’s jersey is therefore not bad.
This year Mathias Frank, the overall runner-up in 2014, will bid farewell to professional cycling. Frank has been one of the greats in Swiss cycling over the 14 years of his career and even gave local fans hope for an overall victory at the TdS in both 2012 and 2014.
With Marc Hirschi (UAE Team Emirates) and the freshly crowned Giro stage winner Gino Mäder (Bahrain Victorious), two young Swiss riders will be expecting great things in their home race.
They will have competition from former Swiss champion Silvan Dillier (Alpecin-Fenix) and young Swiss rider Johan Jacob (Movistar).
In the Premiere of the TdS Women, the reigning Swiss Road Champion Elise Chabbey, Time Trial specialist Marlen Reusser, young talent Noemi Rüegg and former Mountain Bike World Champion Jolanda Neff will line up for glory.
The strong international field of female riders is led by Britain’s Elizabeth Deignan, the Dutch Ellen Van Dijk & Lucinda Brand, French National Champion Audrey Cordon Ragot and the Italian Marta Bastianelli.
Thanks to the Swiss Cycling team’s inclusion, the TdS will once again be a platform for young Swiss athletes who are yet to earn a place in a top team. In the men’s competition, talented U23 athletes and younger elite riders will be competing for a spot in the top echelon of cycling and will be highly motivated to make the most of this opportunity.
In the women’s event, athletes from the mountain bike discipline in particular will be competing against the international top field on the road.
Live-Action on Television and Online
This year the races will be broadcast for 120 minutes, which is 30 minutes more live action than in previous years. As well the digital channels of the Tour de Suisse will provide additional content and information for fans.
The Tour de Suisse encourages all cycling fans to stay at home this year and follow the exciting races either on TV or online.We can therefore look forward to 9 days of concentrated cycling action and hope for great things from the Swiss male and female athletes.
