Tour de Suisse builds strongest field in years as Van der Poel is tipped to join Pogacar

According to HLN, Van der Poel and his Alpecin Premier Tech teammate Philipsen are both pencilled in for this year’s edition, which has been shortened from eight days to five. The race has also been reshaped around a circuit heavy format, with the men’s and women’s events taking place at the same locations on each day.

For the first time in its history, the Tour de Suisse will begin outside Switzerland, with stage 1 starting in Sondrio, Italy. The race will then visit Locarno, Bad Ragaz and Aarburg, where the fourth stage will be an individual time trial. The queen stage to Villars sur Ollon will bring the race to a close on 21 June.

Van der Poel has raced the Tour de Suisse only once before. In 2021, he won stages 2 and 3 before abandoning with a cold. His approach to Tour de France preparation has varied over the years, but he has often been at his sharpest when he has raced beforehand. He rode the Critérium du Dauphiné last year, the Giro d’Italia in 2022, where he won the opening stage in Budapest and wore the maglia rosa, and the Baloise Belgium Tour in 2023.

By contrast, Van der Poel went into the 2024 Tour de France without a stage race in his legs, having not raced for two months after finishing third at Liège-Bastogne-Liège. The Tour de Suisse’s new place on the calendar, ending 13 days before the Tour, makes it a logical option this time around.

A Van der Poel start would also bring him back together with Philipsen in a race whose new circuit format could lend itself to reduced bunch sprints. Philipsen’s participation has not yet been confirmed, but HLN reports that he is also part of Alpecin-Premier Tech’s planned line up.

Pogačar confirmed his first appearance at the Tour de Suisse during UAE Team Emirates-XRG’s media day in December. Matteo Jorgenson, Tom Pidcock, Primož Roglič and Antonio Tiberi are also among the names expected to ride, while Maxim Van Gils is reportedly set to make his return after the injuries he suffered in a crash at the Clásica Jaén.

The women’s race is also expected to feature a strong field, with Swiss favourite Marlen Reusser and Demi Vollering both confirmed.

Wout van Aert, however, will not ride the Tour de Suisse. According to HLN, the Belgian, who has raced sparingly since his Paris-Roubaix victory in April, is set to return to stage racing at the Tour Auvergne Rhône Alpes, formerly the Critérium du Dauphiné, which starts on 7 June.