Tour of the Alps 2026 Route stage 1: Innsbruck - Innsbruck

Monday 20 April – The Tour of the Alps opens with a 144.3-kilometre stage featuring 1,700 metres of climbing. The route consists of several loops with a total of four climbs. The final summit comes a little over 23 kilometres from the finish in Innsbruck.

Published on 17 April 2026

The start is also in Innsbruck, where the Tour of the Alps last finished in 2018. Back then, the riders were given a first taste of the World Championships road race later that year, when Alejandro Valverde went on to claim the rainbow jersey.

The route bears little resemblance to the World Championships course. After a flat approach through the Inn Valley, the riders tackle the first loop after 25 kilometres. The first circuit is completed twice and includes the climb to the Mieminger Plateau – 6.2 kilometres at 3.7% – where climbing points are only awarded on the second ascent.

After leaving the circuit, the riders head back towards Innsbruck to enter a second loop. This one is 18 kilometres long and is also covered twice. Both times the riders climb to Götzens, a 4-kilometre effort at 7%, with sections in double digits in the third kilometre. There is barely any descending, before the road continues to rise for another kilometre at 5.9% to Axams, where an intermediate sprint with time bonuses is placed on the second passage.

After the second passage through Axams, the riders descend for 6 kilometres back into the Inn Valley, after which the final 17 kilometres are flat. The finish is on the Rennweg, bringing the only similarity to the World Championships road race from eight years ago.

The first three riders on the line gain time bonuses of 10, 6 and 4 seconds, while the intermediate sprint in Axams comes with 6, 4 and 2 seconds.

Fancy riding the route yourself? Download GPX stage 1 2026 Tour of the Alps.

The opening stage of the Tour of the Alps starts at 11:45 and is expected to finish around 15:15 - both local times (CEST). For details, please see the timings in the slideshow below this article.