Tour de Suisse
The Tour de Suisse 2026 (89th edition) introduces a 'new beginning' format — the first foreign Grand Départ in race history, opening with a 144km hilly circuit in Sondrio (Valtellina, Italy) on June 17. From there the route swings into Switzerland for four stages: Locarno on the Lago Maggiore, Bad Ragaz featuring the Schwägalp climb, a 23.8km Aarburg ITT, and a Queen Stage closing-day mountain showdown at Villars-sur-Ollon with the Col de la Croix and 4,226m+ of elevation gain. The race is the final dress rehearsal for the Tour de France's Italian-leg overlap and an early read on Tour GC form.
Where to watch
⚠️ Spoiler warning: live streams and broadcaster home pages may show current standings. Disable autoplay & avoid sidebar recommendations on YouTube.
The route, day by day
QUEEN
Who to watch & what to watch for
Top Starters
Jerseys
Fight for the overall
Narratives to watch
- Italian Grand Départ: For the first time in race history, the Tour de Suisse opens outside Switzerland — stage 1 in Sondrio is described by organisers as 'Il Lombardia-style' demanding from day one.
- Aarburg ITT: 23.8km mid-race ITT is the race-of-truth before the Queen Stage. TT specialists who climb well can build a buffer ahead of the closing day.
- Villars Queen Stage: 151km Alpine finale with 4,226m of climbing — the Col de la Croix anchors a day organisers describe as 'relentlessly up or down, barely a flat metre in sight'.
- Tour de France warm-up: Like the Dauphiné, the Tour de Suisse traditionally previews GC form for the Tour de France two weeks later.
Form book & lore
The Tour de Suisse has been a fixture of the cycling calendar since 1933 and joined the WorldTour at its 2005 inception. Traditionally Switzerland's headline stage race and the canonical Tour de France warm-up alongside the Dauphiné. The 2026 edition marks the first time the race has opened outside Switzerland.
When to tune in
Spoiler-safe stage highlights on YouTube — watch the linked videos directly and in stage order. Disable autoplay and avoid the sidebar, comments, and video descriptions, which can reveal results.