The Tour de Suisse 2019 offers two fast time trials, sprint arrivals against a spectacular backdrop, a mountain arrival on the Gotthard Pass and probably the most famous Alpine Pass circuit for dessert.
The Swiss National Tour offers great cycling in all language regions of the country.
The riders of the 21 teams will start on Saturday, 15 June, in Langnau i.E. for the 83rd Tour de Suisse. This leads clockwise into the Seeland, over the Jura chain into the Basel region, then into eastern Switzerland, over Graubünden into Ticino and finally into the heart of the Alps.
The starting weekend with individual time trials and circuit races in the sports-crazy Emmental promises the best racing atmosphere from the first minute of the race.
Attractive circuits with additional loops and several finish passages will also provide a great racing feeling on the roadside and on TV screens at Lake Murten (3rd stage), in Arlesheim (4th stage) and at Lake Sihl (5th stage). The finish in Murten is then at the historic gate to the old town and in Einsiedeln on the historic monastery square.
The Tour de Suisse 2019 ends with a brilliant royal stage. This leads over the classic Alpine circuit Furka, Susten and Grimsel Passes. The stage comes with the three hors catégorie passes and hardly a flat section to a total ascent of over 4’000 metres in altitude.
The king’s stage on the last day ensures excitement for overall victory and special class elements right up to the very end.
Attractive driver field with national team
The field of riders of the 83rd Tour de Suisse is heavily occupied. Three jersey winners of last year’s Tour de France will be taking part: Geraint Thomas (yellow, overall classification), Peter Sagan (green, points classification), Pierre Latour (white, best young professional).
From a Swiss perspective, there are more local riders at the start than ever before.
Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ) – last year’s winner of both time trial disciplines and first wearer of the yellow jersey – will start this year’s Tour of the Country with ambitions. If he succeeds in making his debut in the season-opening time trial, Stefan Küng will be able to have the yellow jersey put on again.
The classic specialist Michael Schär (CCC) and the U-23 World Champion Marc Hirschi (Sunweb) will have a lot to figure out for the first days of the race.
In addition, Mathias Frank (AG2R La Mondiale) is a contender for the podium.
The reigning Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas (Ineos – formerly Sky) is certainly one of the top favourites for the overall classification. He will not only face competition from young Colombian team-mate Egan Bernal, but also from two-time overall winner Simon Spilak (Katusha-Alpecin) and former World Champion and three-time overall winner Rui Costa.
In addition to local hero Küng, the reigning time trial world champion from Australia Rohan Dennis (Bahrain-Merida) will also be fighting for victory in the two time trials.
In the first half of the race, TdS record holder and three-time world champion Peter Sagan (BORA-hansgrohe) will compete against Olympic champion Greg van Avermaet (CCC) and last year’s Strade Bianche winner Tiesj Benoot (Lotto-Soudal).
A rule change of the UCI makes it possible for a Swiss national team to start at the Tour de Suisse.
The tour of the country thus becomes a showcase for young athletes who have not yet gained a foothold in a top team. Swiss Cycling will be competing with talented U23 athletes and younger elite riders who are striving for a place in the Bel Etage of cycling and will be highly motivated to use this showcase for themselves.
Cycling Festival and TdS Challenge
The TdS kick-off weekend at the Langnau i.E. hub offers a concentrated load of action in a very confined space – starting with the team presentation on Friday evening.
Following the TdS team presentation on Friday, the Langnau dialect musician Tinu Heiniger and Hank Shizzoe will perform on the festival stage at the Viehmarktplatz.On Saturday evening the Bernese Reggae pioneers Fusion Square Garden(free admission).
The starting weekend in Langnau i.E. also entices with Genuss-Märit (food zone), the visit of ski racer Beat Feuz and cycling legend Fabian Cancellara.
Hobby drivers can once again compete in the coveted TdS Challenge on parts of the original track.
On the start and finish weekend, national and international exhibitors will show their latest products at the TdS Bike Expo. In the TdS Kids World, the little ones can test their skills for two days on various bike courses.
The Swiss National Tour promises an unforgettable folk festival in all the country’s language regions, from great cycling to culinary and musical offerings.
