Tour de Romandie 2024: The most important facts in brief
- Date: 23 to 28 April, prologue and 5 stages
- Distance: ~ 660 kilometres
- Start: Payerne, Target: Vernier
- Profile: two time trials, two hilly stages, two mountain stages with a mountain finish
- UCI Category: World Tour
- Premiere: 1947, 77th edition
The Tour de Romandie is held annually at the end of April or beginning of May and is regarded as an important preparation race for the upcoming Grand Tours Giro d'Italia and Tour de France. Characteristic are the many metres in altitude and mountain stages that await the riders over the six days. Last year, Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates) the Tour de Romandie, the Briton then made it onto the podium at the following Tour de France.
Tour de Romandie 2024 - Favourites: Ayuso goes to the start with a tailwind
Alongside former Tour de France winner Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers), Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates) has also announced his participation in the Tour. Less than a month ago, the talented Spaniard won the Tour of the Basque Country, his first tour at World Tour level. For Bora-Hansgrohe Jai Hindley and Aleksandr Vlasov will try to achieve a top result for the German team, while the talented Ilan Van Wilder (Soudal - Quick Step) and Lenny Martinez (Groupama-FDJ) are aiming for a top position.
Tour de Romandie 2024: The route with all stages and elevation profiles at a glance
Due to the two time trials, the riders only have to cover 660 kilometres in the Tour de Romandie, but there are no flat stages for the riders to rest on. The prologue and the 3rd stage are individual time trials, while the 1st and 5th stages feature many small classic-like climbs. There, breakaways can hope for a stage win. In terms of the overall classification, decisions are likely to be made on the 2nd and especially the 4th stage.
Prologue | Tuesday, 23 April | Payerne - Payerne | 2.28 kilometres (individual time trial) - 17 vertical metres
As in previous years, the 2024 Tour de Romandie will begin with a prologue. It is usually the opening race of a tour and is held as an individual time trial over a distance of less than eight kilometres - and this year's event is no exception: With a length of just over two kilometres and only 17 metres of elevation gain, the start of the Tour of Romandie is very short. Although there are numerous bends on the course through the town of Payerne that require technical skill and a high level of attention, there are unlikely to be any large gaps in the classification in the prologue.
Stage 1 | Wednesday, 24 April | Chateau d'Oex - Fribourg | 165.7 kilometres - 2617 vertical metres
The first stage of the Tour de Romandie heads north from Chateau d'Oex to Fribourg, the capital of the canton of the same name. Fribourg has now become a frequent feature of the Tour of Romandie - it is stopping in the city for the 27th time.
After the rather short prologue, the riders immediately get down to business on stage 1. A total of six mountain classifications have to be climbed, with the first mountain in particular being a 2nd category climb. On hilly terrain, the breakaway riders should have a good chance of winning the day. If the teams manage to protect their sprinters and control the leading group, the race could also be decided in a sprint.
Stage 2 | Thursday, 25 April | Fribourg - Salvan-Les Marecottes | 171 kilometres - 2733 vertical metres
From Fribourg, the route now heads back south. Passing Chateau d'Oex, the starting point of the previous day, the 2nd stage ends in Salvan-Les Marecottes, which is located near Martigny and therefore not far from Mont Blanc.
Stage 2 should see some movement in the overall standings for the first time. After a first category 2 climb awaits the riders after 115 kilometres, the race ends with a mountain finish. The final climb leads almost exclusively uphill for around eight kilometres and has an average gradient of 7.3%. Gaps between the riders are therefore to be expected in the final kilometres.
Stage 3 | Friday, 26 April | Oron - Oron | 15.5 kilometres (individual time trial) - 304 vertical metres
After the prologue, there is also an individual time trial on stage 3. This stretches over 15.5 kilometres and starts and finishes in the town of Oron. With an elevation gain of 304 metres, the time trial is not completely flat, and there are also some sharp bends to negotiate, which will result in smaller gaps between the riders. However, the gaps between the favourites should not be too far apart.
Stage 4 | Saturday, 27 April | Saillon - Leysin | 159.2 kilometres - 3386 vertical metres
Stage 4 of the Tour de Romandie follows a similar route to stage 2, but this time in the opposite direction. From Saillon, the route once again leads north past Martigny, where the stage ends in Leysin at over 1300 metres above sea level.
Stage 4 is the queen stage of the Tour de Romandie. The peloton has to conquer almost 3400 metres in altitude, two 1st category climbs and one of them as a mountain finish. On the final climb of almost 15 kilometres, over 900 metres in altitude are covered - this is where the wheat will be separated from the chaff and the Tour will most likely be decided.
Stage 5 | Sunday, 28 April | Vernier - Vernier | 150.8 kilometres - 1782 vertical metres
While all previous stages have taken place to the east or north of Lake Geneva, the 5th stage of the Tour de Romandie will be held to the west of the lake. The stage starts and finishes in Vernier, which is located just outside Geneva near the French border.
The final 5th stage of the Tour de Romandie is the shortest, apart from the time trials. It only covers around 150 kilometres and includes three category 3 climbs. It is characterised by many short climbs and, like stage 1, there are hardly any flat sections. This means that the peloton could have problems controlling the breakaway riders, who have a good chance of winning the stage. If there are fast sprinters in the peloton, they can also hope for a stage win, provided they can control the breakaway.
