'Future-proof' - Major calendar change as men's Tour de Suisse cut to five days
The decision to cut the men's Tour de Suisse in length was formally ratified by the UCI at the World Championships in Rwanda. The Women's WorldTour race has been extended in length to five days and it will take place on the same route as the men's event.
The men’s Tour de Suisse will adapt a new, scaled-back format in 2026, with the race reduced to five days and taking place in tandem with the women’s event, which has increased in duration.
The decision means that the Tour de Suisse will no longer overlap with the Critérium du Dauphiné, though it may also further cement the French event as the preferred preparation race for Tour de France contenders.
The format will see each stage start and finish in the same location, and the Tour de Suisse will now feature two races each day, with the women’s event extended to five stages.
In a statement on Thursday, the Tour de Suisse organisation indicated that the event would feature more circuit stages, noting that the format allowed for “more interaction for everyone involved and enhanced fan experience on site.”
The 2026 editions of the men’s and women’s Tour de Suisse will thus take place from Wednesday, June 17 to Sunday, June 21. The UCI confirmed on Thursday that the Copenhagen Sprint will move forward by a week and will now be held on the weekend of June 13-14.
The Tour de Suisse organisation described the changes as a “rethink of the ecosystem,” adding that they were “necessary to ensure the Tour de Suisse is financially sustainable and future-proof.”
Tour de Suisse director Olivier Senn said that the changes were being enacted in order to safeguard the race’s future.
“Without a new concept, the future of the Tour de Suisse as a cultural asset and brand would be at risk in the medium term,” he said. “We are deliberately focusing on a model that places even greater emphasis on women’s cycling. The successful double stage in Küssnacht 2025 showed that this approach works and has enormous potential.”
The Tour de Suisse’s difficulty and prestige saw it come to be viewed by some as a fourth Grand Tour, and by the 1970s and 1980s, it took place over ten or even eleven stages. In the WorldTour era, the event settled on an eight-stage format, with the opening day overlapping with the final stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné.
The first edition of the men’s Tour de Suisse was held over five stages in August 1933. The women’s race was first held between 1998 and 2001, and it returned to the calendar in 2021.
The 2025 race was held over four stages, with Marlen Reusser claiming overall victory in Küssnacht. The men’s race set out from Küssnacht on the same day, with João Almeida winning the overall title a week later.
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