Men’s Tour de Suisse 2024: Route, how to watch, start list and everything you need to know

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Men’s Tour de Suisse 2024: Route, how to watch, start list and everything you need to know

The men’s Tour de Suisse, the final warm-up race before the Tour de France, starts on Sunday 9th June with a prologue around Vaduz and finishes the following Sunday, 16th June, in Villars-sur-Ollion, less than two weeks before the Tour starts in Florence, Italy. The eight-stage race has, together with the Critérium du Dauphiné, long been where Tour hopefuls test their legs before the biggest race of the season. 

Last year’s Tour de Suisse was won by Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) ahead of Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emriates) and Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep). However, the race was marred by tragedy, as 26-year-old Swiss rider Gino Mäder died after a crash on a descent on Stage 5. Stage 6 was then neutralised before racing resumed on Stage 7, when winner Evenepoel dedicated his victory on the day to Mäder.

The 2024 edition will honour Mäder, retiring his race number (44) and creating a new #rideforGino prize given to the first rider to cross the highest point of the race, the Nufenenpass on Stage 6. A memorial ride will also take place covering the route of the final stage.

Tour de Suisse 2024: Key information

• Dates: 9th-16th June 2024
• Start: Vaduz
• Finish: Villars-sur-Ollon
• Stages: Eight
• UK television coverage: Discovery+
• Most wins: Pasquale Fornara (four)
• 2023 winner: Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek)

Tour de Suisse 2024: The route

The route is once again bookended by individual time-trials, with the stages in between packed with climbs. The queen stage comes on Stage 6 and features the HC category Nufenenpass (21km, 6%) before a Category 1 summit finish.

Tour de Suisse 2024: Stage-by-stage preview

Stage 1: Sunday 9th June, Vaduz – Vaduz, 4.8km, ITT

Pancake flat, as usual. Last year’s opener was won by Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ) ahead of Evenepoel and Wout van Aert.

Stage 2: Monday 10th June, Vaduz – Regensdorf, 177.2km

One for the sprinters, which says a lot about the testing nature of the Tour de Suisse courses. Once they’re over the Category 2 climbs, riders hit a Category 3 with just under 10km to the finish to thin out the pack before the line.

Stage 3: Tuesday 11th June, Steinmaur – Rüschlikon, 161.7km

Plenty of time to talk at the beginning of a backloaded Stage 3, with all the climbing action coming in the last 30km before an uphill finish into Rüschlikon.

Stage 4: Wednesday 12th June, Rüschlikon – Passo san Gottardo, 171km

Stage 3 is all but pan flat before an all-important slog up the famous Gotthardpass.

Stage 5: Thursday 13th June, Ambrì – Carì, 148.6km

A fierce day that will test the general classification contenders. From the Category 2 Ronco, riders will then crest the Category 1 Cari and head over the finish line for the first time, travelling out to Arbedo-Castione, looping back on themselves and finishing back on top of the Cari climb.

Stage 6: Friday 14th June, Locarno – Blatten, 151.4km

The queen stage. The highest point of the race sees the peloton scale the Nufenenpass, which peaks at a huge 2,421m. The first rider over will receive the #rideforGino award dedicated to Gino Mäder. For those who handle the altitude best it’s a long descent before a kick to the Blatten summit finish.

Stage 7: Saturday 15th June, Villars-sur-Ollon – Villars-sur-Ollon, 118.2km

A shorter but not sweeter stage, featuring a double ascent of the Col de la Croix before one last summit finish.

Stage 8: Sunday 16th June, Aigle – Villars-sur-Ollon, 15.7km

The 2024 Tour de Suisse ends with a time-trial as is customary, featuring almost 900m of altitude gain.

Tour de Suisse 2024: Live TV and streaming guide

The Tour de Suisse will be shown throughout the week on Discovery+ in the UK and Europe. There’s no Eurosport coverage. In the US, the racing will be shown on FloBikes and in Switzerland it is on SRF.

If it’s not being shown in your country, you may be able to watch coverage using a VPN – Virtual Private Network – which allows users to mask their IP address and watch geo-blocked content, provided they don’t need to pay for a subscription. This is also helpful for watching paid-for coverage while travelling abroad in countries without access.

One such example is ExpressVPN, which is very well reviewed, has specific advice for watching cycling and costs £5.36 per month with three months free. Other options include NordVPN, Surfshark and Kapersky.

• Read more: How to watch cycling post-GCN

Live TV and streaming times

Stage 1: Sunday 9th June

Discovery+: 14:00 – 16:40

Stage 2: Monday 10th June

Discovery+: 14:00 – 16:40

Stage 3: Tuesday 11th June

Discovery+: 14:00 – 16:40

Stage 4: Wednesday 12th June

Discovery+: 14:00 – 16:40

Stage 5: Thursday 13th June

Discovery+: 14:00 – 16:40

Stage 6: Friday 14th June

Discovery+: 13:30 – 16:00

Stage 7: Saturday 15th June

Discovery+: 13:50 – 17:00

Stage 8: Sunday 16th June

Discovery+: 14:00 – 16:40

Tour de Suisse 2024: Start list

Tour de Suisse: Previous winners

2023: Mattias Skjelmose
2022: Geraint Thomas
2021: Richard Carapaz
2021: Richard Carapaz
2020: No race
2019: Egan Bernal
2018: Richie Porte
2017: Simon Špilak
2016: Miguel Ángel López
2015: Simon Špilak
2014: Rui Costa
2013: Rui Costa
2012: Rui Costa
2011: Levi Leipheimer
2010: Fränk Schleck
2009: Fabian Cancellara
2008: Roman Kreuziger
2007: Vladimir Karpets
2006: Koldo Gil
2005: AItor González
2004: Jan Ullrich
2003: Alexandre Vinokourov
2002: Alex Zülle
2001: Lance Armstrong
2000: Oscar Camenzind
1999: Francesco Casagrande
1998: Stefano Garzelli
1997: Christophe Agnolutto
1996: Peter Luttenberger
1995: Pavel Tonkov
1994: Pascal Richard
1993: Marco Saligari
1992: Giorgio Furlan
1991: Luc Roosen
1990: Sean Kelly
1989: Beat Breu
1988: Helmut Wechselberger
1987: Andy Hampsten
1986: Andy Hampsten
1985: Phil Anderson
1984: Urs Zimmermann
1983: Sean Kelly
1982: Giuseppe Saronni
1981: Beat Breu
1980: Mario Beccia
1979: Wilfried Wesemael
1978: Paul Wellens
1977: Michel Pollentier
1976: Hennie Kuiper
1975: Roger De Vlaeminck
1974: Eddy Merckx
1973: José Manuel Fuente
1972: Louis Pfenninger
1971: Georges Pintens
1970: Roberto Poggiali
1969: Vittorio Adorni
1968: Louis Pfenninger
1967: Gianni Motta
1966: Ambrogio Portalupi
1965: Franco Bitossi
1964: Rolf Maurer
1963: Giuseppe Fezzardi
1962: Hans Junkermann
1961: Attilio Moresi
1960: Alfred Ruegg
1959: Hans Junkermann
1958: Pasquale Fornara
1957: Pasquale Fornara
1956: Rolf Graf
1955: Hugo Koblet
1954: Pasquale Fornara
1953: Hugo Koblet
1952: Pasquale Fornara
1951: Ferdinand Kübler
1950: Hugo Koblet
1949: Gottfried Weilenmann
1948: Ferdinand Kübler
1947: Gino Bartali
1946: Gino Bartali
1945: No race
1944: No race
1943: No race
1942: Ferdinand Kübler
1941: Josef Wagner
1940: No race
1939: Robert Zimmermann
1938: Giovanni Valetti
1937: Karl Litschi
1936: Henri Garnier
1935: Gaspard Rinaldi
1934: Ludwig Geyer
1933: Max Bulla

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