Six stages including two time trials, two uphill finishes and two intermediate stages. It is the Tour of Romandie 2024 which will start on Tuesday 23 April and will end on Sunday 28 April for a total of 657 km. After the short prologue in Payerne and an intermediate stage, the first uphill finish line will arrive in Les Marecottes. Oron's 15km individual time trial and Saturday's stage were also decisive, with the high-altitude finish in Leysin, other GPMs and a difference in altitude of almost 3,400 metres.

UAE Emirates is the team to beat, with at least four riders who can aim for a good placing in the general classification. Juan Ayuso and Adam Yates start one step above the others, immediately behind Brandon McNulty and Pavel Sivakov. There is confidence in the Ineos Grenadiers which features Egan Bernal, Thymen Arensman and Carlos Rodriguez at the start with Ethan Hayter and Magnus Sheffield ready to do well in the time trials.

There is the return of Giulio Ciccone with Lidl Trek after a long break. Also with him in the team is Tao Geoghegan Hart from whom a positive response is expected after a period without results. Also pay attention to the desire for redemption of Richard Carapaz (EF), the consistency of Damiano Caruso (Bahrain) already in the top 10 three times at the Romandie, and the Bora Hansgrohe duo formed by Aleksandr Vlasov and Jay Hindley.

Other names to note in the notebook are those of Alexey Lutsenko of Astana, Ilan Van Wilder (and Julian Alaphilippe) of Soudal Quick Step, Lenny Martinez of Groupama Fdj, Enric Mas (Movistar) and Simon Yates of Jayco AlUla. Question mark on Visma Lease a Bike which could do well in the general with Bart Lemmen or Johannes Staune-Mittet. Even if the team seems to be focusing on Jan Tratnik.

Photo Sprint Cycling

The scheduled stages:

Prologue (23/04): Payerne – Payerne (2.28 km, time trial)

Stage 1 (24/04): Château d'Oex – Friborg (165.7 km)

Stage 2 (25/04): Friborg – Salvan/Les Marécottes (171 km)

Stage 3 (26/04): Oron – Oron (15.51 km, time trial)

Stage 4 (27/04): Saillon – Leysin (151.7 km)

Stage 5 (28/04): Vernier – Vernier (150.8 km)