Stage 1
Sondrio → Sondrio
Stage 1 opens the 89th Tour de Suisse with a 144km hilly circuit in and around Sondrio, Italy — the race traditionally starts in the Italian Alps before crossing into Switzerland for the mid-week stages. Multiple climbs on the closing circuit suit puncheur-and-classics riders; the opening yellow jersey rewards positioning over the closing 30km.
Watch this stage
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What the stage looks like
Stage 1 opens the 89th Tour de Suisse with a 144km hilly circuit in and around Sondrio, Italy — the race traditionally starts in the Italian Alps before crossing into Switzerland for the mid-week stages. Multiple climbs on the closing circuit suit puncheur-and-classics riders; the opening yellow jersey rewards positioning over the closing 30km.
What to follow
- Italian opener: Sondrio in the Valtellina valley starts the race on the Italian side of the Alps.
- Circuit format: 144km of repeated loops with multiple short climbs — typical 2026 TdS "start-and-finish-in-one-town" format.
- First yellow jersey: bonus seconds at the line plus positioning decides the opening leader.
When to tune in
Watch the closing climbs on the Sondrio circuit — late attacks from puncheurs are the typical winning move on this opening profile.