Tour Of The Alps News Update
5 fun facts about Tour of the Alps Cycling Race
- Royal Ride: Believe it or not, the Tour of the Alps has some royal history! In 1910, Prince Henry of Prussia (brother of Kaiser Wilhelm II) actually participated in the race.
- Trainspotter’s Paradise: The Tour of the Alps often features routes that take cyclists past some of the most scenic railways in the world. Imagine battling uphill while gazing at a charming cogwheel train chugging up a neighboring mountain.
- Cheese on the Move: The Tour of the Alps traverses regions famous for cheesemaking. In the past, shepherds would move their herds throughout the Alps depending on the season, and cheesemakers would follow suit, crafting cheese along the way.
- Climbing Challenges: The Tour of the Alps might not be as long as the Tour de France, but it packs a punch when it comes to climbing. With multiple mountain stages and high-altitude finishes, it’s a true test of cyclists’ climbing prowess.
- International Affair: The Tour of the Alps stretches across eight different countries, offering a beautiful and diverse European experience for cyclists and spectators alike.
Tour Of The Alps 2024 Riders to follow
- Romain Bardet (Team DSM Firmenich-PostNL): Bardet is a French climber who has come close to winning a Grand Tour on several occasions, finishing second at the Tour de France in 2016. He is a strong climber and will be looking to take advantage of the mountainous terrain in the Tour of the Alps.
- Geraint Thomas (INEOS Grenadiers): Thomas is a Welsh rider who won the Tour de France in 2018. He is a powerful all-rounder who is also a good climber. Thomas will be looking to use his experience to win the Tour of the Alps.
- Wout Poels (Bahrain Victorious): Poels is a Dutch rider who is a climbing specialist. He has won several stage races, including Liège–Bastogne–Liège and the Tour de France. Poels will be looking to add the Tour of the Alps to his palmarès.
- Ben O’Connor (AG2R Citroën Team): O’Connor is an Australian rider who is a talented climber. He finished second at the Tour de France in 2021. O’Connor will be looking to challenge for the overall victory in the Tour of the Alps.
- Filippo Zana (Team Jayco AlUla): Zana is an Italian rider who is a young up-and-coming talent. He won the Italian National Road Race Championships in 2023. Zana will be looking to make his mark on the Tour of the Alps.
Tour Of The Alps 2024 Watch live in streaming
Tour Of The Alps 2024 Parcours Revealed
The route for the 2024 Tour des Alpes has been unveiled, and it’s a challenging one. Over the five days of racing, riders will tackle 13,250 meters of positive elevation.
The race begins on Tuesday, April 16th with a 189.1-kilometer stage from Salurn to Stans. The next day, riders will face a shorter but more demanding 127-kilometer stage from Schwaz to Schwaz.
The third stage, on Thursday, April 18th, is a 141.3-kilometer leg from Leifers to Borgo Valsugana. And the race concludes on Friday, April 19th with a 118.6-kilometer stage from Levico Terme to Levico Terme.
The Tour des Alpes is a UCI ProSeries race, which means it attracts some of the best climbers in the world. This year’s field is expected to include riders such as Tadej Pogačar, Primož Roglič, and Egan Bernal.
The race is sure to be a thrilling one, and the fans are in for a treat.
Tour of the Alps History
The Tour of the Alps is an annual professional cycling stage race held in Italy and Austria. It was first held in 1962 as the Giro del Trentino and was run over four stages in the Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol region of Italy. In 2017, the race was renamed the Tour of the Alps and expanded to five stages, with the addition of a stage in Austria.
Early Years (1962–1992)
The early years of the Giro del Trentino were dominated by Italian riders, with Franco Moser, Francesco Moser, and Giuseppe Saronni all winning the race multiple times. In 1986, the race was won by the Colombian climber José Patrocinio Jiménez, who became the first non-European rider to win the race.
International Recognition (1993–2016)
In the 1990s, the Giro del Trentino began to attract more international riders, with riders from Spain, Colombia, and Russia all winning the race. In 2004, the race was won by Danilo Di Luca, who went on to win the Giro d’Italia later that year.
Tour of the Alps Era (2017-Present)
Since its renaming in 2017, the Tour of the Alps has continued to attract some of the best climbers in the world. In 2019, the race was won by Thibaut Pinot, who went on to finish third in the Tour de France later that year. The most recent edition of the race was held in 2023, and was won by Tao Geoghegan Hart.
Notable Champions
- Damiano Cunego (3 wins)
- Michele Scarponi (2 wins)
- Franco Moser (2 wins)
- Francesco Moser (2 wins)
- Vincenzo Nibali (1 win)
- Thibaut Pinot (1 win)
Facts and Figures
- Distance: 600–700 kilometers
- Number of stages: 5
- Classification: UCI ProSeries
- Start and finish: Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, Italy and Austria
Read also: Remco Evenepoel’s Uncertain 2024 Program
