The Digital Swiss 5 is the first WorldTour stage race that has ever been attempted. It follows in the footsteps of the Tour of Flanders Lockdown Edition, which gave 13 riders an opportunity to ride the finale of the Tour of Flanders Course. 

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One month later, the organizers of the Tour de Suisse in partnership with Velon are upping the bar. They will host a 5 day stage race on the virtual riding platform Rouvy, in which 19 teams will compete. Each team will field a roster of three riders, and teams may change their rosters each stage.

Each stage will be scored as its own individual race, and because rosters will change on a daily basis, there will be no overall general classification prize. Teams are taking advantage of the innovative rules by entering rosters stacked with star riders.

These are the riders with the best shot at claiming victory in the Digital Swiss 5.

Greg Van Avermaet

The Olympic champion and classics star enters the Digital Swiss 5 as the only rider to have won a WorldTour virtual race.

Van Avermaet beat 12 other classics heavyweights in the De Ronde Lockdown Edition earlier this month. His attack over on the Paterberg and subsequent solo time trial to the finish in Virtual Oudenaarde was an eye watering display of power. 

Van Avermaet enters the Digital Swiss 5 with proven form and will stand a very good chance in the less mountainous stages of the race.

Primoz Roglic

Primoz Roglic will be headlining the stacked Jumbo Visma roster. The Slovenian is one of the strongest time trialists and climbers in the race and can be considered a key threat in just about any stage.

The powerful and robotic riding style of Roglic should make him particularly well suited to the dreadfully unrelenting world of virtual racing. 

Bob Jungels

DQS is in need of redemption after tactically bungling their virtual racing debut at the virtual Tour of Flanders. They are arriving at the Digital Swiss 5 with a roster which says they mean business. You could go down the list and take your pick of likely winners from their team, but our money is on Bob Jungels. 

The Rouvy app which hosts the Digital Swiss 5 does not account for any drafting benefit, so powerful riders who can solo long distances will be at an advantage all week. With performances like the 2018 Liege Bastogne Liege under his belt, Jungels is a clear favorite for leaving others in his virtual dust. 

Vincenzo Nibali

Trek-Segafredo's big signing for 2020 is on the startlist for the Digital Swiss 5. Vincenzo Nibali was the American team's big hope for a grand tour victory in 2020. This is a hope that came at no small expense, and Nibali will now be tasked with earning his keep in the virtual world.

Grand Tours remain a hope on the 2020 calendar, but for the time being, virtual racing remains the only certainty. Can wily veterans like Vincenzo Nibali hack it in the virtual world, or is smart trainer racing a game for the kids?

Rohan Dennis

Rohan Dennis is the reigning world time trial champion and for that reason alone, should be the outright favorite for every stage of the Digital Swiss 5. In a world where drafting does not exist, time trialing ability is king.

Rohan Dennis proved last week to be the strongest amongst his team, winning an intra-team virtual race in impressive fashion. 

The only thing that can conceivably stand in Dennis' way is himself. According to a deleted twitter post, Dennis reportedly "cracked" under quarantine over the weekend and went for a drive in his classic Porche 911, violating his country's lockdown order.

Dennis posted about the joyride on social media, proceeded to get roasted by fans and internet trolls alike, which then apparently caused him to delete his social media accounts.

Neither the virtual world nor the real world has been a comforting place for Dennis over the past few days. Nevertheless, he remains on the startlist for the Digital Swiss 5. 

Perhaps an opportunity to put his head down and prove once again that he is the strongest cyclist in the world is just what Dennis needs right now.