This tough one day race is the epitome of racing in the Swiss Alps. It contains several large climbs and a few tricky descents but also requires the winning rider to have the ability to sprint. At 207km, the finishing sprint is often determined by the freshest of the riders and not necessarily the best sprinter.
On leaving Zug, the race immediately begins to climb. The first 8.3km has an average gradient of just 3.5%...
Read moreThis tough one day race is the epitome of racing in the Swiss Alps. It contains several large climbs and a few tricky descents but also requires the winning rider to have the ability to sprint. At 207km, the finishing sprint is often determined by the freshest of the riders and not necessarily the best sprinter.
On leaving Zug, the race immediately begins to climb. The first 8.3km has an average gradient of just 3.5% means that it is not particularly demanding but there are several ramps that reach 7%. The climb crests as it reaches the village of Unterägeri but rather than descending it soon starts to climb again up to the Ratenpass. The climb is 5.7km and averages 5.7% with a fairly consistent gradient all the way up. At the top of this climb, the breakaway has usually established itself and can be fairly large. With the tough climbing ahead, most will be caught but occasionally the strongest of the breakaway riders make it all the way. A short and easy descent follows into the town of Biberbrugg followed by a false flat around Sihlsee.
Another short climb follows at 8.3km in length and a gradient of 5%. A long and technical descent follows into the town of Schwyz. The next 30 kilometres are fairly flat with a three short but sharp hills.
The biggest climb of the day follows this valley road. The San Gottard pass is 8.6 km long with an average gradient of 7.1% and though it will drop the sprinters, it is not the hardest climb. The climbing actually exceeds the official climb length and the riders are faced with 31km worth of uphill battles that averages 5.1% but the multiple plateaus give the riders respite along the way. The descent is the toughest the riders will face all day with many hairpin corners to deal with. A short 5.5km climb up to Renco at 8% breaks the descent into two sections and provides a launch pad for riders willing to chance their luck with a long distance attack. This is also the climb where the breakaway will sort itself out into the strongest riders that begin to work well together to try to hold off the chasing pack. The descending continues all the way into the capital of Ticino, Bellinzona. But the course has one final twist in the tale.
There are three castles in Bellinzona and the third is on the hill that looks over the city. A final obstacle for the breakaway riders often has them hitting the wall and being caught whilst the peloton sees multiple attacks as the riders who don't want to sprint against any of the better sprinters try to breakaway. It is just 1.4km long but averages 10.5% and it's position at 202km causes the group's to shred to pieces. A short plateau followed by a technical descent can give those attacking an extra advantage as they seek every second they can. A final loop of the other two castles and the cathedral keep the leading riders out of sight of the rapidly closing riders down the narrow streets. The final sprint opens up and the winner is often from a very tight bunch finish.
