With the new finish hub at Davos Klosters, the 80th edition of the Tour de Suisse (11.-19.06.2016) promises to provide an attractive mountain spectacle that will challenge the pro cyclists right through to the final turn of the wheel. “Davos Klosters powered by P&I (Schweiz) AG” will also sponsor the King of the Mountains jersey for the 2016 event. Mountain-top finishes in Leventina, Eastern Switzerland and once again on the famous Rettenbach glacier in Sölden - the climb that is known as the hardest in Austria and saw Thibaut Pinot take a solo win in 2015 - will set the hearts of mountain specialists racing. Amateur cyclists will also be able to enjoy that professional feeling again across four stages in the TdS Challenge.

Tour organiser InfrontRingier is looking to the mountains of Graubünden for the closing weekend of the Tour de Suisse 2016. Davos Klosters will be a new hub and promises magnificent cycling amidst Alpine peaks. General Director Olivier Senn: “Davos is an ideal finish hub, offering excellent infrastructure for a great festival, plenty of know-how in relation to big events as well as demanding mountain routes for attractive stages.” After the previous finish hub in Bern failed to secure financing for a second edition, the tour management decided to give the finish hub a complete overhaul.

The start weekend on 11/12 June 2016 will again take place in the region of Zug. Baar will host the first two days of racing, offering an attractive programme for spectators and an inviting bike expo.

The third stage (13.06.) will start in Grosswangen and snake through the Central Plateau to the finish in Rheinfelden in the Fricktal valley.

The start location for the fourth stage (14.06.) will be Rheinfelden. The tour organisers would like to end this day of racing in Western Switzerland but have not yet struck lucky. They would welcome any approaches by interested locations in Western Switzerland.  

The fifth stage (15.06.) will begin in Brig/Glis and will end with a mountain-top finish in the Ticino village of Carì above Faido. The route from Valais to Ticino is evidently planned to take in one or more legendary Alpine passes.

After the transfer to Walensee lake, the sixth stage will start in Weesen and end in Arvenbühl / Amden, five kilometres higher.

In Arbon on Lake Constance, the pro cyclists will set out on the seventh stage to the Rettenach glacier in the Austrian city of Sölden in the Ötztal valley. The tour and all its entourage will then relocate to Davos Klosters for the grand finale and the final weekend on 18/19 June 2016. 

The detailed route guides and schedules for all stages will be communicated in February/March 2016.

The UCI World Tour Reform was passed around a month ago by the UCI Management Committee. “For us, the UCI Reform is a success as we were able to preserve the status of the Tour de Suisse,” says General Director Olivier Senn. “Now we can tackle the sustainable development of professional cycling alongside the teams and the UCI.” With nine days of racing at World Tour level, Switzerland’s national tour thus remains the fourth largest stage race behind the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta à España.

Once again, amateur cyclists can compare themselves with the pros directly across four stages. A few hours before the pros, the sportive riders will complete their race on the original route and with professional route security and support.

An individual time trial on 11.06 as well as a round race on 12.06 in Baar will be followed on Friday, 17.06, by the “Austria stage” through Ötztal valley and high up to Rettenbach glacier and on Sunday, 19.06, by a final round race in Davos Klosters.