The route for the 2019 Tour de Suisse 2019 has been announced and it includes two fast time trials, sprint finishes against spectacular backdrops, a summit finish on the Gotthard Pass and concludes with an Alpine Pass circuit with the Furka, Susten and Grimsel passes.

On Saturday, 15 June, the riders of the 21 teams will begin the 83rd edition of the Tour de Suisse in Langnau im Emmental. The route takes them in a clockwise direction through Seeland, over the Jura Mountains to the Basel region, before heading to eastern Switzerland, through Grisons to Ticino, and culminating in a spectacular finish in the Alps.

A particular feature of this year’s race is that the route – with the exception of the weekend hubs – is all connected, with no long transfers.

This year’s Tour de Suisse also once again offers a circuit on the opening weekend in Langnau and additional loops at several of the finish lines.

Saturday, 15 June 2019, 1st stage: Individual time trial, Langnau (Bern) [9.5 km, 68 m altitude]
The Tour de Suisse 2019 will begin with a short time trial on a flat circuit in Langnau, Emmental.

Sunday, 16 June 2019, 2nd stage: Circuit, Langnau (Bern) [160 km, 2,532 m altitude]
On Sunday, the riders set off on a circuit that heads south from Langnau and over the Chuderhüsi Pass, before continuing with loops over the Schallenberg Pass. The riders take in three laps of this hilly circuit.

Monday, 17 June 2019, 3rd stage: Flamatt (Fribourg) – Murten (Fribourg) [162 km, 1,525 m altitude]
The third stage starts in the German-speaking part of the canton of Fribourg before looping around the Lake of Gruyère in the French part. The peloton heads for Murten, with a finishing loop around Lake Murten.

Tuesday, 18 June 2019, 4th stage: Murten (Fribourg) – Arlesheim (Basel-Landschaft) [164 km, 1,980 m altitude]
On the fourth day, the Tour de Suisse will head east through the Seeland region. The route winds past the Jura Mountains to Solothurn and over the Passwang Pass into the canton of Basel-Landschaft. There will once again be a finishing circuit in Arlesheim.

Wednesday, 19 June 2019, 5th stage: Münchenstein (Basel-Landschaft) – Einsiedeln (Schwyz) [177 km, 2,750 m altitude]
The fifth stage begins on the Primo Energie site in Münchenstein, on the outskirts of Basel. From the north of the country, the route cuts straight across the Swiss Plateau and over to Einsiedeln, where the riders will complete a circuit of Lake Sihl before what’s expected to be a sprint to the historic Klosterplatz in Einsiedeln. This stage offers the sprinters one last chance to shine.

Thursday, 20 June 2019, 6th stage: Einsiedeln (Schwyz) – Flumserberg (St. Gallen) [120 km, 1,941 m altitude]

The sixth stage is the shortest of the 83rd edition. From Einsiedeln, the riders skirt Lake Zurich to reach Rapperswil, continuing through the highest region of the canton of St. Gallen between the Säntis and Churfirsten mountains and on to Sargans. The finish line of the sixth stage is on Flumserberg, high above Lake Walen. It was here in 1995 that Italian mountain pro Marco Pantani celebrated his victory against a stunning Alpine backdrop, and this will also be where the general classification first starts taking shape for this year’s Tour de Suisse.

Friday, 21 June 2019, 7th stage: Unterterzen (St. Gallen) – Gotthard Pass (Ticino) [217 km, 4,080 m altitude]
The following day, the riders will set out along Lake Walen for the longest stage of this year’s race. Following the Rhine upstream, the route goes via Chur to Disentis. At this point, the route becomes even more mountainous and steeper; the Lukmanier Pass will really put the riders to the test. Once they leave Biasca in Ticino, the rest of the stage is a relentless 50 km uphill climb. The crowning finish of the seventh stage is the historic Tremola on the Gothard Pass.

Saturday, 22 June 2019, 8th stage: Individual time trials, Ulrichen (Valais) [19 km, 98 m altitude]
The 2019 closing weekend will take place at the finishing hub in Goms. The time trial course leads out of the valley from Ulrichen on a stretch of road tarred especially for the tour. Coming between two tough stages in the Alps, Saturday is actually two races in one: time trial specialists get a second grab at a stage win after the start in Langnau, while the general classification riders will have a last opportunity to make corrections before the queen stage the next day. The fast course offers spectators a spectacular racing atmosphere and a great sporting festival for all ages.

Sunday, 23 June 2019, 9th stage: Queen stage circuit, Ulrichen (Valais) [144 km, 4,020 m altitude]
The Tour de Suisse 2019 will end with a thundering queen stage through the classic Alpine circuit of the Furka, Susten and Grimsel passes. These three hors catégorie passes will see the cyclists climb more than 4,000 metres in total, with barely a flat stretch for relief.

Total: 1,172 km and 18,994 metres of altitude.

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