The 2023 Tour de Suisse, regarded as a key preparation for the Tour de France, foreshadows an intense battle between the world’s top cyclists.
The Figures to Watch
World Champion Remco Evenepoel and recent Giro d’Italia winner, Primož Roglič, are shaping up as the top favourites to claim the title this year. With the absence of defending champion Geraint Thomas, the race is open for a new champion.
Remco Evenepoel
Evenepoel is back in the saddle after missing the Giro d’Italia due to a Covid-19 infection. The question is whether his physical health will suffer as a result of the recent incident. The Tour de Suisse course in 2023 appears to favour the young Belgian prodigy famed for his time-trialling abilities, with multiple mountains and a lengthy final time trial.
Primož Roglič
Following his overall triumph in the Giro d’Italia, Rogli is set to compete in the Tour de Suisse. His Giro victory has confirmed him, and he believes he is capable of defeating anyone again. It would be intriguing to see if he can sustain his Giro form at the Tour de Suisse.
Other Contenders
Along with Evenepoel and Rogli, cyclists to keep an eye on include Ben Tulett, Juan Ayuso, Jakob Fuglsang, Romain Bardet, and Sergio Higuita. Each of them has displayed enough promise to be considered contenders for the race.
Details of the 2023 Tour de Suisse Route
The 2023 edition of the Tour de Suisse is characterised by a variety of stages that will test all of the riders’ skills. Over eight stages, cyclists will have to face both individual time trials and challenging mountain climbs.
The race starts on June 11 with an individual time trial in Einsiedeln, allowing experts in this discipline, such as Remco Evenepoel and Stefan Küng, to showcase their speed and time-trialling abilities right away.
With barely 1,900 metres of total rise, the second stage, while not fully flat, provides an opportunity for sprinters. It will be a chance for cyclists like Wout van Aert and Biniam Girmay to win a stage.
The fifth stage, dubbed the “queen stage” of the 2023 Tour de Suisse, presents the genuine challenge. This stage will test the riders with some of Switzerland’s most difficult peaks, which could be decisive in the overall standings.
After completing this critical stage, the riders must sustain their performance throughout the remaining mountain stages before the final time trial in Abtwil on June 18. This last time trial will be the final stage in which the general classification contenders will try to make a difference and secure their spot in the final rankings.
