Press release from Wednesday, 23 November 2022
The Tour de Suisse will start in Einsiedeln on June 11, 2023 to mark its 90th anniversary. A circuit into the French-speaking part of Switzerland, two mountain climbs and the royal stage over the Albula Pass have now been confirmed. Ebnat-Kappel will welcome the Tour de Suisse Women over the course of two days. The second weekend is still open with the men’s finish and the start of the women’s tour.
Only recently did spectacular images of the new world record set by the railway on the UNESCO World Heritage line of the Rhaetian Railway in the Albula Valley make headlines around the world. In June 2023, the camera operators from the Swiss public broadcaster SRF will be reporting from the same place. On Thursday, June 15, 2023, the fifth stage of the Tour de Suisse will lead competitors from Fiesch in the Upper Valais region via the Albula Pass (2,312 meters above sea level) to the Engadine.
The royal stage is a gift to mark several milestone birthdays: the tour was conducted for the first time in 1933. The 86th edition thus falls in the year of its 90th anniversary (the tour has been canceled five times due to war and the coronavirus pandemic). Surprisingly, the first Albula Pass stage was only added to the program on the 50th anniversary in June 1983. So next year, we will mark the “40th anniversary of the Albula Pass stage” with the 14th crossing in total. This will attract a lot of spectators: the route is considered one of the most beautiful Alpine passes in the cycling scene.
Tour Director, Olivier Senn, comments on the ongoing preparations: “This year’s Tour de Suisse showed how much interest the public have in the national tour. We are pleased to be able to cycle around a large part of Switzerland in the coming year, despite the constantly increasing challenges. The Tour de Suisse Women, which we will be holding for the first time at the highest level as a Women’s WorldTour, will be given a new status.”
Mountain climbs in French-speaking Switzerland
The start to the 86th Tour de Suisse will be devised by the monastery village of Einsiedeln with the team presentation on Saturday and the first stage on Sunday. The memory of the boisterous folk festival on the occasion of the fifth stage in 2019 may provide an indication of the mood with which the fans will launch the 90th anniversary of the tour.
The atmosphere won’t be any less euphoric when the national tour passes through the home town of ex-professional Mathias Frank, who only resigned recently, on Monday. A highly motivated team has been working for almost two years on the Lucerne stage, starting in Beromünster and finishing at the Swiss Paraplegic Centre in Nottwil.
From Central Switzerland, the caravan will move westward on Tuesday. The start in Tafers (Canton of Fribourg) is followed by the first mountain climb in Villars-sur-Ollon (Canton of Vaud); on the next day, the finish in Leukerbad (Canton of Valais) awaits the competitors. Both mountain climbs are well-known in the peloton – and both have ensured structure in the overall classification during past tours. Excitement is guaranteed before the competitors ride over the big Alpine passes.
Climbing qualities are called for
Ex-pro, David Loosli, is responsible for setting the route as part of his role in Tour management. His forecast for the coming year: “The Tour de Suisse 2023 will once again be extremely challenging. An enormous amount of altitude has to be conquered by the racing cyclists on their way to the yellow jersey. In both the women’s and the men’s race, overall victory will only be realistic if climbing qualities exist. In the battle for stage victories, however, all rider types will have a chance.”
As usual, the two final stages of the men’s race and the two first sections of the women’s race will be combined on the second tour weekend. The venue for this equally ambitious and attractive program has not yet been confirmed. The stage contracts with Ebnat-Kappel (Canton of St.Gallen) for the second half of the Tour de Suisse Women have already been signed, with the finish on Monday and a circuit on Tuesday.
The exact route will probably be published in March 2023, when all clarifications with the cantonal authorities have been completed.
Opinions about the host cities:
Einsiedeln (Canton of Schwyz)
Start hub Saturday/Sunday, June 10/11, 2023
“After the Tour de Suisse was already hosted in Einsiedeln in 2019, we are now looking forward to continuing as a start hub in the monastery village in 2023. From Friday evening, June 9 to Sunday, June 11, 2023, plenty of excitement and thrills, as well as a lively folk festival, await sports enthusiasts and families. From Klosterplatz to Lake Sihl to the Ybrig mountain landscapes, there is a unique and diverse backdrop to possible routes. These impressions are inspiring – both on site and at home in front of the TV.”
Alois Oberholzer, OC President Tour de Suisse Start HUB Einsiedeln
#visiteinsiedeln
Beromünster/Nottwil (Canton of Lucerne)
Start/finish of 2nd stage on Monday, June 12, 2023
Media release of September 15, 2021
Tafers (FR)
Start of 3rd stage on Tuesday, June 13, 2023
Media release of July 13, 2022
Villars-sur-Ollon (Canton of Vaud)
Finish of 3rd stage on Tuesday, June 13, 2023
Report on RTS Sport dated June 19, 2022
Leukerbad (Canton of Valais)
Finish of 4th stage on Wednesday, June 14, 2023
For 500 years, Leukerbad has been synonymous with hospitality, outdoor experiences and recreation. Nestled in an impressive mountain landscape, the destination invites you to explore and relax: whether on a bike, in the snow or while hiking and climbing. In the center of the Alpine year-round destination, the soothing thermal water that comes out of the mountain at 51° Celsius (124 F) awaits you. “Tourism on two wheels is an essential part of our strategy. We are looking forward to welcoming for what will already be the fifth time a stage arrival of the Tour de Suisse to our destination,” explains Urs Zurbriggen, CEO of My Leukerbad AG.
www.leukerbad.ch
#leukerbad #quellezumglück #sourcedebonheur
Fiesch (Canton of Valais)
Start of the 5th stage on Thursday, June 15, 2023
For cyclists, Fiesch which lies at an altitude of 1,050 meters above sea level is a top starting point associated with challenges with highlights in the form of passes. The following shall be considered as such: Nufenen, Furka and Grimsel. However, Fiesch is also a great starting point for everyone else, specifically for going on an excursion to View Point Eggishorn, from where you can see the entire 20 kilometers of the Great Aletsch Glacier, the Fiescher Glacier and forty 4,000-meter-plus mountains. A visit to the View Point can very easily be combined with a hike or even a guided glacier tour.
https://www.aletscharena.ch/
#aletscharena
La Punt (Canton of Graubünden))
Finish of the 5th stage/start of the 6th stage on Thursday/Friday, June 15/16, 2023
Oberwil-Lieli (AG)
Finish of the 6th stage on Friday, June 16, 2023
Media release of August 25, 2022
Ebnat-Kappel (Canton of St.Gallen)
Women: finish of the 3rd stage/the start and finish of the 4th stage on Monday/Tuesday, June 19/20, 2023
For queries:
Tour de Suisse Media Office
Ueli Anken
[email protected]
Phone +41 79 638 18 18
