This is it, the Tour de Suisse 2024, the last time the cycling stars clash ahead of the Tour de France two weeks later. The Swiss stage race is all about the mountains; it's a prestigious race in its own right and a grueling eight-day Alpine final examination for the Tour.

The climbers are in for a treat, because in the eight days of action there are four mountain finishes. Yes, there is a time trial, but it's a mountain time trial and it will confirm the race winner on the last day.

The Tour de Suisse 2024 Route

The Tour de Suisse begins with a bit of a nothing burger, a time trial of 4.8 kilometers. The short stage will also allow you to concentrate on the Critérium du Dauphiné, which wraps up on the same day over the border in France. Stage two could be a sprint, but the following days end skywards. The Gotthard Pass, stage 4, finishes at 2000 meters. Stages 5, 6, and 7 – none as high as Gotthard, but all equally decisive. Then there is the stage 8 time trial, which climbs 800 meters in the final nine kilometers of the stage.

The Tour de Suisse 2024 Favorites

The startlist is still being finalized. We can confirm that João Almeida will lead the UAE Team Emirates team with Tadej Pogacar still resting and training for the Tour de France after his Giro d'Italia win. New Mexican star Isaac Del Toro is also in the team.

Tom Pidcock will lead Team Ineos, with 2019 Suisse winner Egan Bernal perhaps also in the team ahead of his Tour de France ride. Neilson Powless is returning to his best before the Tour. The American will be there fighting with Richard Carapaz, a recent stage winner in Romandie.

Spaniard Enric Mas leads team Movistar. Danish rider Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) is back. Remember he won the 2023 edition, which was marked by the crash and death of Gino Mäder.

On the sprint side: Mark Cavendish races to show some strong signals before taking a crack at breaking the stage win record in the Tour. If stage 2 does come to a sprint, I'd look more towards Arnaud De Lie (Lotto-Dstny), Bryan Coquard (Cofidis), and for sure, Thibau Nys (Lidl-Trek).

How To Watch The 2024 Tour de Suisse?

The Tour de Suisse will be live and on demand for FloBikes viewers in the U.S., Canada, and Australia. And for everyone worldwide, we have highlights, interviews, and comprehensive race coverage.

Mountains, mountains, and yes, more mountains – this is the Tour de Suisse, and the final test ahead of the 2024 Tour de France.