The 76th annual Tour de Romandie will be held from April 25-30, 2023. For six days, all French-speaking Switzerland, Romandie, comes together to enjoy racing and promote tourism and culture in the area.
In its original 1947 incarnation, the competition lasted for four days. The 2011 upgrade to WorldTour status means that the race now spans six days, providing a crucial tune-up for the season’s first Grand Tour, the Giro d’Italia. The Tour de Romandie Féminin debuted last year and is a continuation of the Women’s WorldTour.
With wins in 1983, 1984, and 1987, Irishman Stephen Roche now holds the record for most GC triumphs. Primo Rogli (Jumbo-Visma) isn’t the only rider with multiple overall victories; 12 other riders, including himself, have done it as well.
Only in 2020, when a worldwide outbreak of coronavirus rendered travel unsafe, was the Tour de Romandie not held. In 2021, Geraint Thomas of Ineos Grenadiers won the race outright; however, Aleksandr Vlasov of Bora-Hansgrohe dislodged Rohan Dennis of Jumbo-Visma in the final day’s uphill time trial to claim victory.
The Tour de Romandie course traditionally starts with a brief time trial. In 2023, the opening ceremony will be held at Le Bouveret, a district of Port-Valais on the lake’s southern side. This year, the individual time trial will take place halfway through the race rather than on the last day.
From Sion to Thyon 2000, the route has a big mountain competition, and on May 30th, stage 5 concludes in Geneva. So, if you are the one keeping eyes on the big bonuses like the BetMGM Bonus Code, this is the right time, to begin with.
Race Results from the Tour de Romandie
In 1947, the Swiss Cycling Union celebrated its golden jubilee by creating the Tour de Romandie. In the first event’s four-stage competition, which had ten teams and forty riders, Belgium’s Désiré Keteleer came out on top.
Irishman Stephen Roche claimed the Tour de Romandie a record three times between 1983 and 1987. Twelve cyclists have won the event twice, most recently Primo Rogli (Jumbo-Visma) in 2018 and 2019.
There have been eight different winners of the Tour de Romandie, including two-time champions Tony Rominger (1991, 1995) and Pascal Richard (1993, 1994).
After starting off as a ProTour event in 2006, the race was promoted to WorldTour status in 2011. It begins with a prologue, continues through the high alpine highlands of Switzerland in the intermediate stages, and ends with a mountainous time trial.
The Giro d’Italia is the first Grand Tour of the season, and this event is the ideal warmup because of its combination of timed and mountain stages.
Tour De Romandie 2023: A Challenging Five-Stage Race
Are you ready to take on the Tour de Romandie 2023? This five-stage race offers riders a challenging and thrilling course through Switzerland, from rolling hills to steep mountain passes. Riders will be tested both physically and mentally throughout the entire event. Let’s take a closer look at each stage, from the elevation gains to some of the iconic scenery that makes this race unique.
Stage 1 of the Tour de Romandie 2023 has riders tackling just over 2,500m of elevation gain, which culminates with a flat finish at the scenic Lac de Joux. After an intense start in La Chaux-de-Fonds, this first stage is sure to be exciting.
Stage 2 is situated in the beautiful watchmaking region and contains six climbs that add up to almost 3,200m of climbing. Breakaways likely won’t survive this stage. With stunning views along its route and plenty of tough ascents and descents for riders to conquer, Stage 2 will certainly prove difficult but rewarding.
The 18.75km time trial on Stage 3 should be enough for climbers who struggle in TTs to shed time, as it features less than 400m of elevation. However, with its winding roads through vineyards, it won’t make it any easier.
The queen stage (Stage 4) will have riders climbing 4,345m across 161.6km and reaching an altitude of 2000 meters above sea level before descending into a valley twice before finishing atop Thyon 2000 mountain pass, which is definitely not for amateurs. Expect plenty of attacks during this crucial stage as those looking for overall victory make their mark on Tour de Romandie’s 2023 history books.
Finally, we come upon Stage 5: a 170.8km long ride from Vufflens La Ville to Geneva, featuring 2,500m worth of elevations, making it the perfect last day’s challenge for those vying for overall victory at the Tour De Romandie 2023 Finish Line in Geneva.
With stunning alpine vistas around every turn, this finale is sure not to disappoint. Don’t miss out on your chance to experience it all firsthand when Tour De Romandie comes around again next year.
In a Nutshell
The 76th Tour de Romandie 2023 is a six-day race to be held in two-speaking Switzerland on April 25-30, 2023. The event kicks off with a scenic flat finish at the Lac de Joux and culminates with the 170km ride to Geneva. It is the only UCI Women’s WorldTour event in Switzerland and will be a thrilling experience for riders, with stunning alpine views.
