michael charboneau
·4 min read
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For over 90 years, the Tour de Suisse, a pro cycling race held in Switzerland, has drawn elite cyclists from across the globe, and it’s easy to see why. Although it lacks the widespread name recognition of cycling’s pinnacle race, the Tour de France, this event features epic alpine climbs, adrenaline-soaked time trials, and lots of fierce competition. Thanks to its spot on the calendar (mid-June), many pros use the Tour de Suisse to test their legs before heading to the Tour de France in July, which makes this a must-watch event for cycling fans.
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At a Glance: How to Watch Tour de Suisse Online
The 2024 Tour de Suisse takes across eight stages from June 9 to June 16. By the time the riders cross the finish line of stage eight, they’ll have covered 950 kilometers (about 1,211 miles) and climbed over 62,000 feet — enough to summit Mount Everest twice. Want to catch all the action? Here’s how to watch the 2024 Tour de Suisse online.
How to Watch the 2024 Tour de Suisse Online
If you live in the United States, the best way to watch the Tour de Suisse is to stream it online via FloBikes. You can choose either an annual subscription ($150/year) or a monthly subscription ($29.99/month) — either will allow you to watch every stage live. You can also rewatch past stages on FloBikes, and your subscription grants access to livestreams of other major cycling events, including the Tour de France.
How to Watch the 2024 Tour de Suisse for Free
Don’t want to sign up for a new streaming platform? You can also use a VPN (a virtual private network) to watch the Tour de Suisse livestream from the Swiss public broadcaster SRF. We recommend ExpressVPN — it’s a popular, reliable choice and it costs as little as $8.32 per month when you sign up for an annual plan. Better yet, every ExpressVPN plan has a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Tour de Suisse Route
The 2024 Tour de Suisse began with Stage 1 in Vaduz, which is technically in the neighboring country of Lichtenstein. The first stage is an individual time trial, where riders each race the course alone and compete to have the best time. From there, the Tour stages include a mix of terrain, including relatively flat stretches (especially Stage 3 from Steinmaur to Rüschlikon), rolling countryside, and dizzying climbs and descents through mountain passes (Stages 4 and 5 especially).
Stage 4 will take athletes through the famed Gotthard Pass, a legendary alpine route that crests at just over 2100 meters (6,909 feet) in altitude. The Tour wraps with Stage 8, a short but punchy time trial where riders will have to sprint 15.7 kilometers and ascend nearly 900 meters (2,900 feet) to the finish. While each stage presents unique challenges, the Tour de Suisse is a mountainous route, so the overall winner will need to be a talented climber.
Tour de Suisse Schedule
The 2024 Tour de Suisse takes place in eight stages, starting on Sunday, June 9 and ending with the final stage on Sunday, June 16. The times below are the official start times for each stage, according to the race’s website, and they are converted to Eastern Standard Time.
Stage 1:
Vaduz (time trial): June 9 at 8:08 a.m.
Stage 2:
Vaduz to Regensdorf: June 10 at 6:45 a.m.
Stage 3:
Steinmaur to Rüschlikon: June 11 at 7:10 a.m.
Stage 4:
Rüschlikon to San Gottardo: June 12 at 6:30 a.m.
Stage 5:
Ambri to Cari: June 13 at 7:05 a.m.
Stage 6:
Nordic Centre Goms in Ulrichen to Blatten-Belalp: June 14 at 9 a.m.
Stage 7:
Villars-sur-Ollon: June 15 at 8:20 a.m.
Stage 8:
Aigle/Centre Mondial du Cyclisme UCI to Villars-sur-Ollon (time trial): June 16 at 7:38 a.m.
Tour de Suisse Cyclists to Watch
Because it takes place right before the Tour de France, the Tour de Suisse is a fascinating showcase for cycling talent. Some major teams choose not to race their best riders in this event so they can save their strength for the Tour de France, and that gives lesser-known athletes a chance to shine. Even so, the competition is always fierce, and the 2024 Tour de Suisse has drawn some high-wattage talent.
Cyclists to watch this year include Danish athlete Mattias Skjelmose, who won the Tour de Suisse last year (a race that was marred by the tragic death of cyclist Gino Mäder) and returns this year as the defending champion.
As of June 13, British cyclist Adam Yates, riding for UAE Team Emirates, is the current leader of the 2024 Tour de Suisse. Working with teammate João Almeida, he was able to ride to a commanding victory on the mountainous stage 5. Almeida took second place in that stage, and is also currently holding second place in the general classification. You can view the full classification breakdown and more rider stats on the Tour de Suisse website.
Stream the Tour de Suisse with ExpressVPN online.
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