The Tour de France starts in exactly three weeks time and many hoping to leave an impression on La Grande Boucle will roll out today in Quinto for the nine-stage Tour de Suisse.
While the Tour favourites have opted to make final preparation at the Criterium du Dauphine, riders capable of stage wins, a top 10 finish overall, or perhaps even an upset feature on the start list for the gruelling test in Switzerland.
Like the race taking place on the French side of the border, the Tour de Suisse is mountainous, but unlike the Dauphine, has two time trials rather than one, which bookend the race.
Here’s a look at the course and contenders before the action gets underway at TIME today.
The riders
Defending champion, Rui Costa, is one of the many heirs apparent to Alejandro Valverde at a Movistar team increasingly looking like one of the peloton’s superpowers. He finished ahead of his more decorated team leader at every turn at the Tour de Romandie, and finished on the podium for the second consecutive year. Victory on stage eight of the 2010 Tour de Suisse can be seen as further evidence for Costa’s liking for Swiss roads. Movistar’s A-list is scattered across other races (Valverde, Quintana, Cobo, Intxausti et al), so like Tejay Van Gaarderen (see below), Costa may have to make his own luck.
Ireland’s Dan Martin (Garmin-Sharp) is in the form of his life, having won the Volta a Catalunya and Liege Bastogne Liege this season, is likely to lead Garmin-Sharp in Switzerland, despite the presence of 2012 Giro d’Italia winner, Ryder Hesjedal on the start list. The Canadian’s inept and ultimately aborted campaign at the Giro (attacking like a mad man on stage three, before abandoning with Bradley Wiggins after stage 12) contrasts strongly with Martin’s measured campaign in Catalunya and the Tour de Suisse could signal a change in the hierarchy of the American team.
Tejay Van Gaaarderen, still only 24, will lead the mighty BMC Racing squad of world road race champion, Philippe Gilbert, for the first time at a major stage race. White jersey winner at last year’s Tour de France after passing team leader and defending champion, Cadel Evans, on the road in the penultimate stage time trial from Bonneval to Chartres, many believe the Tacoma-native’s time has come. The two time trial stages will play to his strengths, but he will need support to survive the mountain stages and remain in contention. Gilbert is among the squad, and with Classics riders, Marcus Burghardt and Greg Van Avermaeat the strongest members of the supporting cast, the American may have to do so alone.
Significant others
Michele Scarponi (Lampre Merida) rode a solid Giro campaign, and Tanel Kangert (Astana) rode a superb corsa rosa in support of eventual winner, Vincenzo Nibali. Both men should start the Tour de Suisse with good legs. Roman Kreuziger, winner of this race in 2008, and Swizterland’s other WorldTour event, the Tour of Romandie, in 2009, will seek to continue a promising start to his career with Saxo-Tinkoff, which has already yielded victory at the Amstel Gold Race.
Peter Sagan (Cannondale Pro Cycling) won four stages of last year’s Tour de Susisse, including the prologue time trial, at the expense of Fabian Cancellara (Radioshack-Leopard) who will seek revenge today, when he returns to his home race. His team will be led, nominally one suspects, by Andy Schleck, who must turn things around here if he is ever to be considered a contender for a stage race, much less a Grand Tour.
World road race champion, Phlippe Gilbert (BMC Racing), and Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma-QuickStep), are the two Classics heavyweights with an eye on the rolling stages, while quick men, John Degenkolb (Argos-Shimano), Moreno Moser (Cannondale Pro Cycling) and the Australian pair of Matt Goss (Orica-GreeneDGE) and Mark Renshaw (Blanco Pro Cycling) will target the few opportunities for sprinters.
The course
Stage 1: Quinto (8.1km ITT) – Saturday June 8
The prologue specialists, among them a certain Swiss rider who has on four occasions worn the rainbow stripes of world time trial champion, will fancy pulling on the first leader’s jersey of the race at the end of this 8.1km test in Quinto. A time check just 3.4km from the start will provide early evidence of those who have speed against the clock – and those who don’t. Long straights and sharp corners characterise the early part of the course, while a technical section and final finishing ramp are the key features of the latter part.
Stage 2: Quinto to Crans-Montana (163km) Sunday June 9
The race organisers have wasted little time in reasserting the reputation of the Tour de Suisse as a climber’s race. The riders will roll out of Quinto and into an hors categorie ascent. Non-climbers may already wish they’d stayed at home. Worse is to come for the flat-landers. The 2,478m Nufenenpass, whose summit appears at the end of a 28.7km climb lies ahead. The end of the stage brings no more cheer. Cranz Montana is the signature climb of the Tour de Suisse, and an early strike here could set the tone for the general classification.
Stage 3: Montreux to Meiringen (204.9km) – Monday June 10
Descents have often proved as decisive this season as climbs and the sharp drop into Meiringen could do so again today. The 204.9km route from Montreux provides plenty of twists and turns, and a loop that will lead the riders onto the Hasliberg/Winterlücke climb, a first category slope crested just 20km from the summit. If the GC contenders remain together at this stage, expect fireworks on steep descent into Meiringen.
Stage 4: Innertkirchen to Buochs (174.4km) – Tuesday June 11
Any sprinter unfortunate enough to have been selected for the Tour de Suisse may see glimmer of hope on stage four’s 17.4km run from Innertkirchen to Buochs. Being the Tour de Suisse, the quick men will have to remain in contention over the cat two climb of Schwanden, the second category slope at Rengg, and the cat four climb of Rengglochstr, before setting loose the sprint train.
Stage 5: Buochs to Leuggern (178.4km) – Wednesday June 12
In the manner of a commuter waiting endlessly for a bus before two arrive at the same time, so the sprinter’s feast, begun yesterday with the finish at Buochs, continues today after the fast of the opening three stages. A rolling route north leads the riders to a circuit of Zurzach and Leuggern that will decide today’s stage. It contains two fourth category climbs, which the riders will tackle twice. Both are likely to serve as launch pads for attacks, testing the sprinters’ teams as they try to deliver their men to the line.
Stage 6: Leuggern to Meilen (187.9km) – Thursday June 13
Stage six is likely to supply another day of vigilance rather than gallantry for the riders contesting the general classification. An undulating parcours (Switzerland, like Devon, is seemingly bereft of flat roads) will carry the riders 110km into the stage before they encounter the first proper climb at Schwändistr. A picturesque road past some of the lakes for which Switzerland is famed takes the riders to the penultimate ascent of the day, the third category climb of Limberg, a little under 25km from the finish in Meilen. The finals slope at Stafa is uncategorised but will concern the sprinters’ teams for its potential to inspire the breakaway specialists. Should the bunch stay together, bet on a sprint deciding the final outcome.
Stage 7: Meilen to La Punt (206km) – Friday June 14
Having enjoyed three days away from the spotlight, those contending for overall victory will return to centre stage today on this the longest stage of the race. The 206km route from Meilen to La Punt delivers its first feature at Kerenzerberg, a third category climb, and its second after 137km on the cat one climb of Prättigauer. From there, the road rises to a first category summit at Davos and an extended descent taking in the fourth catgory bump at Davos Wiesen before battle resumes on the final ramp of the day: the haute categorie Albulapass. The day does not end there, however. A descent of just over 9km into La Punt will shape the finishing order.
Stage 8: Zernez to Bad Ragaz (180.5km) – Saturday June 15
A day ringed in red in the diary of one P Sagan of Slovakia, perhaps? A stage with more than its fair share of descending could end in a sprint for those strong enough to conquer the third category climb of Steig a little over six kilometres from the finish. If the race remains together at this late stage, expect the sprinters to have the last laugh. Those prepared to push the limits on a descent will also find much to inspire them in today’s parcours, however. A steep descent of 65km from the summit of the cat one Julierpass, crested after just 44km, will provide food for thought.
Stage 9: Bad Ragaz to Flumserberg (26.8km ITT) – Sunday June 16
The 2013 Tour de Suisse will end as it began, with a race against the clock. There the similarities end. While the opening test was of prologue proportions, the final time trial, while far from the longest on the calendar, will provide a suitably stern challenge after eight days of racing. A further significant different lies in the parcours. Where the test in Quinto was conducted on a pan flat route, today’s route is hilly and ends on a draining slope to Flumersberg. Riders able to time trial and climb typically win stage races. Today may demonstrate that trend again.
