Not all cyclists dream of the yellow jersey. For many, the Tour de Romandie, happening right now in Switzerland, is a crucial warm-up for the prestigious Giro d’Italia.This six days of racing, starting from April 23 to April 28 in Switzerland’s Romandie region, brings together all the cantons of French-speaking Switzerland, Romandie, for WorldTour competition. 

This year’s route promises to be particularly demanding, featuring a thrilling opening time trial, a significant mountain stage from Saillon to Leysin culminating at Place Large on April 27, and a hilly finale around Lausanne. The race, first held in 1947, serves as an important preparation for the Giro d’Italia and affects the UCI World Tour rankings, drawing top international cyclists to compete.

Where to Watch 2024 Tour de Romandie

If you’re looking to watch the 2024 Tour de Romandie, you have several options depending on your location. 

In Switzerland, you can stream the event for free on Play SRF. For viewers in the United States and Canada, FloBikes offers a subscription for 150 USD/year, allowing access to this and other cycling events. However, if you are in the United Kingdom, you can stream the race live online on Eurosport, available through the Discovery+ Premium plan, which starts at 30 GBP/month and also includes additional sports coverage.

Tour de Romandie 2024 Schedule and Start Time

The 2024 Tour de Romandie, a six-day cycling race in Switzerland, is scheduled from April 23 to April 28 and is included in the UCI World Tour. The race features two-time trials and two mountain-top finishes. Below, you will find the start times for the Tour de Romandie 2024 in ten commonly used time zones: 

Timezone	Start Time (Local Time)
Central European Time (CET)	13:25
Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)	07:25
Pacific Daylight Time (PDT)	04:25
Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST)	22:25
Japan Standard Time (JST)	21:25
India Standard Time (IST)	17:55
Eastern Standard Time (EST)	07:25
Central Standard Time (CST)	06:25
South African Standard Time (SAST)	13:25
Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)	11:25

Tour de Romandie 2024 Route

The Tour de Romandie 2024, which runs from April 23 to 28, unfolds across the challenging terrains of the Swiss Alps, offering six days of intensive cycling. This World Tour event is crucial as it prepares teams for the Giro d’Italia, featuring a total distance of 657.1km, including 17.7km of time trialing. The race begins with a short 2.28km prologue and includes a mid-race 15.5km time trial, covering a significant 10,989 meters of elevation gain overall, including two mountaintop finishes.

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Stage Prologue – Payerne Time Trial

The race kicks off with a quick 2.28km individual time trial in Payerne, located near Lake Neuchâtel. This flat, fast prologue starts on Rue du Stade, continues along the Broye River on Quai de la Broye, includes two sharp turns on Grand Rue, and finishes with a city center loop, returning to Grand Rue for the final stretch.

Stage 1 – Château d’Oex to Fribourg

Stage 1 begins in Château d’Oex, covering 165.7km to Fribourg. The stage features a categorized climb at Sorens early in the race, followed by multiple circuits around Fribourg. These circuits include climbs at Arconciel and Lorette, each tackled twice, leading to a dynamic finish on Boulevard Pérolles in Fribourg.

Stage 2 – Fribourg to Salvan-Les Marécottes

This 171km stage starts in Fribourg and travels south towards Salvan-Les Marécottes. It includes climbs over Les Mosses and ends with a challenging summit finish at the ski station of Les Marécottes, with gradients reaching up to 16%.

Stage 3 – Oron Time Trial

The mid-week stage features a 15.5km individual time trial around Oron. Starting on Route de la Condémine, the route loops eastward, with a couple of tight corners and a sharp one just 500 meters before the finish on Route de Palézieux.

Stage 4 – Queen Stage to Leysin

Stage 4 is the queen stage, with 3,536 meters of climbing over 151.7km, and it ends with a mountaintop finish in Leysin. The stage includes five categorized climbs, with the final ascent being a long 14km climb to Leysin, challenging the riders with an average gradient of 6%.

Stage 5 – Vernier Circuit

The final stage encompasses a 150.8km route in the Geneva area, starting and ending in Vernier. It features a repeating 35km circuit, completed four times, with a third-category climb at Dardagny in the middle of each lap. The race concludes with a 10km stretch into Vernier, marking the end of the Tour de Romandie 2024.

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Tour de Romandie 2024 Teams

• Alpecin – Deceuninck: Riesebeek, Meurisse
• Arkéa – B&B Hotels: Venturini, Rodríguez
• INEOS Grenadiers: Castroviejo, Bernal
• Astana Qazaqstan Team: Tejada, Lutsenko
• Bahrain – Victorious: Caruso, Arndt
• Lidl – Trek: Konrad, Geoghegan Hart
• BORA – hansgrohe: Vlasov, Hindley
• Cofidis: Herrada, Coquard
• Soudal Quick-Step: Van Wilder, Masnada
• Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team: Vendrame, Godon
• Team dsm-firmenich PostNL: Liepiņš, Dinham
• Team Visma | Lease a Bike: Tratnik, Gesink
• EF Education – EasyPost: Valgren, de Bod
• Groupama – FDJ: Molard, Martinez
• Intermarché – Wanty: Smith, Meintjes
• Movistar Team: Oliveira, Mas
• Team Jayco AlUla: Juul-Jensen, Hamilton
• UAE Team Emirates: Yates, McNulty
• Lotto Dstny: Sepúlveda, Kron
• Tudor Pro Cycling Team: Reichenbach, Dainese
• Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team: Howson, de la Cruz
• Team Corratec – Vini Fantini: Padun, Bonifazio
• Swiss Cycling: Stehli, Balmer

Tour de Romandie 2024 Jersyes

The 2024 Tour de Romandie features several distinctive jerseys: the “Fromage Le Maréchal” yellow jersey for the general time classification leader, the “JouezSport!” orange jersey awarded to the top sprinter accumulating the most points from intermediate and final sprints, and the “PRIMEO ÉNERGIE” King of the Mountains jersey for the best climber. 

Young riders under 25 vie for the “Banque du Léman” jersey, marking the best young rider in the general classification. The race also honors spirited competition through the “Chicco d’Oro” Combativity Prize for exceptional courage and effort in each stage, while the best Swiss rider and the best team receive special recognition for their performances, enhancing the spirit of competition and showcasing diverse cycling talents.

Tour de Romandie Preview

The 77th Tour de Romandie is scheduled for April 23rd to 28th. This important six-day bike race, known as Romandie, will occur in the French-speaking parts of Switzerland. It started in 1947 as a four-day event and gained World Tour status in 2011. It now includes six days of racing and helps teams and riders prepare for the Giro d’Italia. In 2022, the race expanded to include a women’s event, the Tour de Romandie Féminin, as part of the Women’s World Tour. Stephen Roche holds the record for most wins in the General Classification, with victories in 1983, 1984, and 1987.

Recently, Primož Roglič won the race in 2018 and 2019. In 2023, Adam Yates won the General Classification after a solo win on stage 5, finishing ahead of Matteo Jorgenson and Damiano Caruso. The 2024 race features a total climb of over 11,000 meters. It starts with a prologue in Payerne and includes a time trial in Oron. The most challenging stage ends in Leysin in the Vaud Alps, with the final finish in Vernier, near Geneva.

Tour de Romandie Past Winners

Year	Winner	Country
2023	Jonas Vingegaard	Denmark
2022	Jonas Vingegaard	Denmark
2021	Tadej Pogačar	Slovenia
2020	Tadej Pogačar	Slovenia
2019	Egan Bernal	Colombia
2018	Geraint Thomas	United Kingdom
2017	Chris Froome	United Kingdom
2016	Chris Froome	United Kingdom
2015	Chris Froome	United Kingdom
2014	Vincenzo Nibali	Italy

Bottom Line

The 2024 Tour de Romandie isn’t just about who crosses the finish line first. It’s a testament to the grit, determination, and sheer passion of cyclists pushing their limits on the world stage. With various Viewing options via Play SRF in Switzerland, FloBikes in North America, and Eurosport in the UK, remember, you don’t need a mountain to experience the joy of cycling!