Three years ago, Michael Matthews won the Tour de Romandie’s prologue in Fribourg. The route was just 4 kilometres long, but it featured some trying sections. Such as a cobbled 200 metres climb with double digit gradients, while the home straight was another 10% climb.
The ITT on the last day of action serves a steep cobbled climb as well. Taking in a downhill to start, the riders enter a cobbled climb of 700 meters at 10% before continuing onto more undulating terrain for the rest of the race.
That is, until the finale. Following a false flat uphill the home straight goes up with double digit gradients.
Fribourg is a regular host to the Tour de Romandie. In 2014, the town served as the hub of a circuit race through the surrounding area, which culminated in a three-up sprint with home-rider Michael Albasini outgunning Thomas Voeckler and Jan Bakelants. In 2015, the Tour de Romandie’s 4th stage arrived in the town with one of the largest contiguous medieval centers in Europe. Once again, a home rider took the stage honours: Stefan Küng soloed to victory.
Another interesting read: results 5th stage and finale GC 2021 Tour de Romandie.
Tour de Romandie 2021 – stage 5: route, profile, more
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