6th stage: Locarno - La Punt
This year’s queen stage begins in the canton of Ticino and ends in the Romansch-speaking Engadine. The start line is in the middle of Locarno’s Piazza Grande, where the renowned film festival is held in August. Anyone who wants to play the starring role in this stage must first traverse the San Bernardino pass and then hold out on the climb to the Albula pass. ‘The rapid descent from Albula really demands something extra from the riders,’ says Loosli. ‘The stage winner will be able to relax only when crossing the finish line in La Punt.’
Finish in La Punt
La Punt: high-alpine, widely inspiring and connecting
La Punt, situated at 1,700 meters a.s.l., is part of the sun-blessed resort region Engadin St. Moritz.
La Punt enchants its visitors with its calm character at the foot of the unspoiled Albula Pass. Grand patrician houses of wealthy merchant families of the 16th and 17th century line the riverbed around the bridgehead of the Inn River. They are proud witnesses of an intensive history of trading at the crossroads of the river and the Albula Pass. Richly adorned farmhouses, however, can be seen further back in the old sections of Chamues-ch.
It is already for the eighth time that La Punt has been given the privilege of welcoming the contestants of the Tour de Suisse in the sunny Engadin.
The crossing of the Albula Pass with its altitude of 2,312 meters a.s.l. has become legendary. On their climb on a narrow path, the contestants pass the impressive viaducts and helical tunnels of the Rhaetian Railway. This part of the railway has recently been awarded the UNESCO world heritage label for its unique natural beauty.
But despite all its beauty: the highly challenging layout of this leg has repeatedly mixed up the race’s temporary rankings and threatened the overall success of the current leader. Not for nothing may the utterly demanding mountain leg to La Punt be called the royal stage of the Tour de Suisse. The racy, final descent from the summit to the bottom of the high valley and directly to the finish line will finally disclose who may rightfully be crowned king in this picturesque mountain village.
Good to know:
Mountain bike enthusiasts find a surprising variety of day-tours and pleasurable trails routes amidst impressive mountain peaks, deep blue lakes and the unique light of the southern sun.
La Punt and the Albula Pass not only becomes the target location of many cyclists every year, but is also the venue of the “slowUp® Event Mountain Albula”. On top of that, the pass and the village constitute an integral part of the “Engadine Bike Marathon®”.
Accommodation
Spend a night in ENGADINE from 15 to 16 June 2017 and experience the crowning stage finish in LA PUNT up close – as well as the start of the seventh stage in ZERNEZ. We look forward to welcoming you to this inspiring Alpine valley.
You can find suitable accommodation on the Engadine-St. Moritz tourism website – the mountain prize sponsor of the 2017 Tour de Suisse.
Catering
Delicious traditional dishes and Engadine specialities* are on offer in LA PUNT and the surrounding area. We recommend booking a table with the following hosts:
Restaurant Pizzeria Albula* – La Punt www.restaurant-albula.ch
Restaurant Pizzeria La Strietta* – La Punt www.lastrietta.ch
Restaurant Burdun* – La Punt www.restaurant-burdun.ch
Restaurant Chesa Stüva Colani* – Madulain www.hotelchesacolani.com
Allegra Steakhouse* – Zuoz www.allegra-zuoz.ch
Restaurant Dorta* – Zuoz www.dorta.ch
Restaurant Cruschetta* – Zuoz www.cruschalva.ch
Restaurant Castell – Zuoz www.hotelcastell.ch
You can find more options, including for gourmet cuisine, on the Engadine-St. Moritz tourism website.
We recommend using the Rhaetian railway, as the cantonal road to La Punt can get very congested.
Rhaetian railway
You can reach La Punt by train from Chur on the Albula line (a UNESCO World Heritage route), changing in Samedan, or from Landquart via the Vereina line, changing in Sagliains (once an hour).
Engadine bus
The no. 6 Engadine bus (Sils – La Punt Chamues-ch) runs every half an hour to La Punt. The buses only travel to a provisional stop at Kantonsstrasse/Inn-Brücke and do not continue to Chamues-ch.
Limited parking
Tour de Suisse visitors are asked to use public transport (Rhaetian railway, Engadine bus) where possible, because there is only limited parking available in La Punt. The Tour de Suisse stage finish is located in the immediate vicinity of the train station.
Spectator parking spaces are marked and will be managed by traffic assistants. Vehicles parked outside the marked spectator parking spaces will be towed away at the owner’s expense.
Campervans
There are parking spaces for campervans on the La Punt – Madulain cantonal road between the road and the river. These can be used from the evening before the event.
Road closures in town
The Via Sandro Viletta will be closed to all vehicles on 15 June 2017 from 7 am to 8 pm for the finish of the Tour de Suisse’s crowning stage, as well as the related set-up and dismantling work. The main crossroads on the cantonal road will be temporarily closed for the stage finish from around 5.15 pm.
Traffic plan
Arrival instruction
| 14.30 | Opening of the stage finish area | |
| 14.00 - 18.00 | Opening time Village | |
| 14.30 - 18.00 | Opening time VIP area | |
| 15.15 | Jolis Dance-Show | |
| 15.30 | Bike acrobatics with TOP RIDERS of BIKESHOW.ch | |
| 15.50 | Start of the live broadcast on the big screen at the finish | |
| 16.15 | Jolis Dance-Show | |
| 16.45 | Entrance of the publicity caravan | |
| 17.00 | Nimm2 Kids Challenge | |
| ca. 17.30 | Race finish | |
| 18.00 | Music and dancing in the marquee with the Blazenka brass band | |
| 19.30 | Tour de Suisse ENGADINE prize draw in the marquee | |
| 20.00 | Mamidance FCLS |