Tour de Suisse 2021: GC Favourites
image: Cor VosClimbing and time trialing, those are important activities on the Tour de Suisse. The race lacks a hard summit finish this year, which could suit the likes of Julian Alaphilippe. Who are the major contenders to win the 2021 Tour de Suisse?
[Underneath article was written before the start of the Tour de Suisse and has not been updated]
, time gaps will be opened up in the flat 10 kilometres ITT on the first day of action. But an even more important time trialing event takes place on the penultimate day, when the riders go up and down the Oberalp Pass. The 9.5 kilometres climb at 6.5% and the ensuing descent offer the perfect terrain to deliver a blow on lesser time trialists.
The 2021 Tour de Suisse lacks a trying summit finish. Yes, stage 5 and stage 6 do finish uphill, but in terms of climbing the finales put up a poor show and climbers will not be pleased. To illustrate this point: three years ago, Diego Ulissi sprinted to victory on the finish climb of stage 5, while the finale of stage 6 is a false flat drag rather than a proper climb.
On paper, the final stage is the hardest. The riders traverse the Oberalp Pass, Lukmanier Pass and Gotthard Pass to finish with a drop down to Andermatt. The Gotthard could serve as a launch pad for climbers. It’s a 13 kilometres ascent with an average gradient of 6.8%. Two years ago, the eventual GC winner Egan Bernal soloed to victory at the Gotthard, winning the stage 23 seconds ahead of the first chasers. This time, the first rider at the summit has to continue downhill before the last kilometres of the Tour de Suisse are played out on the flat.
Rui Costa is the only former winner at the start. The Portuguese won the Tour de Suisse in 2012, 2013, and 2014.
Favourites Tour de Suisse 2021
**** Julian Alaphilippe, Maximilian Schachmann
*** Jakob Fuglsang, Tom Dumoulin, Richard Carapaz
** Pavel Sivakov, Rohan Dennis, Michael Woods, Wout Poels
* Rigoberto Uran, Esteban Chaves, Rui Costa, Marc Soler
Tour de Suisse Route
Tour de Suisse Riders
Watch the highlights of recent races here:
Related articles Mäder outsprints Woods, Carapaz seals GC triumph - Tour de Suisse 20 Uran wins ITT, Carapaz keeps yellow jersey - Tour de Suisse 20 Stage 7: Start times ITT - Tour de Suisse 20 Kron wins from the breakaway, Carapaz stays in yellow - Tour de Suisse 20 Carapaz outsprints Fuglsang to take race lead - Tour de Suisse 20 Bissegger wins three-up sprint, Van der Poel still leader - Tour de Suisse 20 Van der Poel powers to second consecutive win and race lead - Tour de Suisse 20 Van der Poel wins thrilling finale, Küng holds on to race lead - Tour de Suisse 20 Küng wins Frauenfeld ITT to take race lead - Tour de Suisse 20 Stage 1: Start times ITT - Tour de Suisse 20 Route stage 1: ITT in Frauenfeld - Tour de Suisse 20 Route stage 2: Neuhausen - Lachen - Tour de Suisse 20 Route stage 3: Lachen - Pfaffnau - Tour de Suisse 20 Route stage 4: Sankt Urban - Gstaad - Tour de Suisse 20 Route stage 5: Gstaad - Leukerbad - Tour de Suisse 20 Route stage 6: Andermatt - Sedrun - Tour de Suisse 20 Route stage 7: Sedrun - Andermatt - Tour de Suisse 20 More articles Tour de France 2024: The Route
Tour de France 2024 Route stage 1: Florence - Rimini
Tour de France 2024 Route stage 2: Cesenatico - Bologna
Tour de France 2024 Route stage 3: Piacenza - Turin
Tour de France 2024 Route stage 5: Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne - Saint-Vulbas
Tour de France 2024 Route stage 7: Nuits-Saint-Georges - Gevrey-Chambertin
Tour de France 2024 Route stage 8: Semur-en-Auxois - Colombey-les-Deux-Églises
Tour de France 2024 Route stage 9: Troyes - Troyes
Tour de France 2024 Route stage 11: Evaux-les-Bains - Le Lioran
Tour de France 2024 Route stage 12: Aurillac - Villeneuve-sur-Lot
Tour de France 2024 Route stage 14: Pau - Pla d'Adet
Tour de France 2024 Route stage 15: Loudenvielle - Plateau de Beille
Tour de France 2024 Route stage 16: Gruissan - Nîmes
Tour de France 2024 Route stage 17: Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux - Superdévoluy
Tour de France 2024 Route stage 18: Gap - Barcelonnette
Tour de France 2024 Route stage 19: Embrun - Isola 2000
Tour de France 2024 Route stage 20: Nice - Col de la Couillole
Tour de France 2024 Route stage 21: Monaco - Nice
Giro 2024: The Route
Giro 2024 Route stage 1: Turin - Turin
Giro 2024 Route stage 2: San Fransesco al Campo - Oropa
Giro 2024 Route stage 3: Novara - Fossano
Giro 2024 Route stage 4: Acqui Terme - Andora
Giro 2024 Route stage 5: Genoa - Lucca
Giro 2024 Route stage 6: Viareggio - Rapolano Terme
Giro 2024 Route stage 7: Foligno - Perugia
Giro 2024 Route stage 8: Spoleto - Prati di Tivo
Giro 2024 Route stage 9: Naples - Naples
Cycling Calendar 2024
Like our Facebook page and stay on top of all pro-race information!