Ascona - Ascona   

The start and end of the race is in Ascona, a lovely village on Lago Maggiore in the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland. Ascona is a well-known tourist destination and is approximately 50% holiday homes. The first few kilometers of the route are alongside Lago Maggiore, but soon the street starts to rise as the Alpe di Neggia is the first climb of the race.

The downhill leads the peloton into Italy, but only a shor...

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The start and end of the race is in Ascona, a lovely village on Lago Maggiore in the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland. Ascona is a well-known tourist destination and is approximately 50% holiday homes. The first few kilometers of the route are alongside Lago Maggiore, but soon the street starts to rise as the Alpe di Neggia is the first climb of the race.

The downhill leads the peloton into Italy, but only a short time later the riders cross the border back to Switzerland. The most difficult part of the race starts then with steep ramps on narrow streets and through tiny villages. In Lamone, the riders turn back north towards Ascona.

The peloton almost sees the "flamme rouge", but they have to do an extra round up to the Lago di Vogorno. The lake is a reservoir and the dam is quite famous ever since James Bond jumped down its 220 meters in Goldeneye. The riders head back out of the valley, pass the city of Locarno and are back in Ascona. There will not be any sprinters left, the many steep ups and downs throughout the day are in favour of riders who like a hilly terrain and the winner will most likely be a hill specialist.