Tour of the Alps 2023 - Preview

April 17th to 21st: Tour of the Alps

With the Tour of the Alps 2023 on the horizon, cycling fans are looking forward to an exciting and challenging stage race through the Alps. This race is known for its beautiful landscapes, tough climbs, and technical descents, making it one of the most attractive races of the season.

Course 

The Tour of the Alps, formerly known as the Giro del Trentino, is a five-day stage race that takes place annually in the Trentino-Alto Adige and South Tyrol regions of Italy and Tyrol in Austria. The race is considered a major preparation for the Giro d'Italia, and attracts some of the best cyclists in the world every year.

Stage 1: 

The first stage starts in Rattenberg and follows the gentle slopes of the Inn river valley. The first part of the stage, about 75 km, is flat and not too challenging, but in the last 50 km, the course turns completely around. There is a tough climb to the KOM of Brandenberg, followed by the climb of Reith, and finally ending with a 4.5 km climb, with steeper sections in the last kilometer.

Stage 2:

The second stage starts in Reith and follows flat roads and a long climb to Lans. The route then goes over the Brenner Pass and into Italy. After a climb in Barbian, followed by some ups and downs, the stage ends in Ritten, at the Ritten Arena, an indoor ice rink.

Stage 3:

The third stage begins with a descent from Ritten and passes through the city of Bozen/Bolzano and a long, flat stretch through the apple orchards and vineyards of the Adige valley. After about 100 km, the first real climb of the day follows, peaking at the KOM at Lake Cei. After a fast descent, the final climb to the finish in San Valentino di Brentonico awaits.

Stage 4:

The fourth stage starts in Rovereto and leads over the Passo Sommo and the Pramadiccio Pass, with the highlight being the iconic 'Della Cascata' climb. The last kilometer goes slightly uphill towards Predazzo.

Stage 5:

The final stage starts with an 11 km climb from Cavalese to the Lavazè Pass, the highest point of the tour. This is followed by a long descent and flat sections through the Eisacktal/Valle Isarco and Pustertal/Val Pusteria. After a climb in Pfalzen/Falzes and a fast descent, the last 37.4 km of the race begin with a long loop around the Mühlbach/Riomolino climb. This climb has an average gradient of 8.2%.

Contenders

The Tour of the Alps 2023 features a strong field of participants with many contenders for victory. According to the computer, Aleksandr Vlasov (BORA-hansgrohe), Thymen Arensman (INEOS Grenadiers), and Hugh Carthy (EF Education-EasyPost) are the top favorites.

The INEOS Grenadiers stand out with their strong team, which includes Thomas, Sivakov, Geoghegan Hart, and Arensman, all of whom are in the top 10 of the prediction and have the necessary experience. Thomas won the first edition of the new Tour of the Alps in 2017, while Sivakov won in 2019 ahead of Geoghegan Hart, who later won the 2020 Giro d'Italia. Haig from Bahrain Victorious is also a rider to watch, supported by Buitrago, who finished eighth last year. BORA-hansgrohe, which also has a strong team, will field the duo of Vlasov and Maximilian Schachmann, the German champion who has already won the Paris-Nice twice. Kämna, the winner of the Villabassa stage last year, and Cian Uijtdebroeks, a rising talent, complete the team.

Other riders to watch include British rider Hugh Carthy of EF Education-Easypost, who finished third in the 2020 Vuelta a España and wants to improve on his ninth place from last year. Italian hopes are focused on Lorenzo Fortunato (Eolo-Kometa) and the experienced Pozzovivo (Israel-Premier Tech). Austrian riders Felix Gall (AG2R Citroën) and Hermann Pernsteiner will also be followed by the Austrian public.

Although last year's winner, Romain Bardet, will be absent this year, the Tour of the Alps 2023 promises to be an exciting battle among the many talented riders who will take the start.