The Tour of the Alps starts from where it left off. After the forswearing of the 2020 edition given the consequences of epidemic emergency, organizing company GS Alto Garda and the territorial partners – Tirol Werbung, IDM Südtirol-Alto Adige and Trentino Marketing – immediately shifted the target to next season.
The road to 2021 begins with an important confirmation: the course for the next edition of the Tour of the Alps will mirror the one that the athletes should have faced last April, from the 20th to the 24th. The proposal of GS Alto Garda and the three partners met the enthusiasm and commitment of the stage locations, that confirmed their strong belief in the transnational project born in 2017 under the aegis of the Tyrol-South Tyrol-Trentino Euro-region.
“We confirmed the stage locations planned for the 2020 edition and we are proud of this – GS Alto Garda’s President Giacomo Santini explained. – This is a testament to the appreciation of our race’s organizational quality, and its significant impact on territorial promotion. The relationships established with the stage locations will allow us to organize a beautiful edition of the Tour of the Alps. We wish thank the three territorial boards: thanks to their contribution, the Tour of the Alps will start from where it left off”.
In April 2021, Brixen/Bressanone will host the first South Tyrolean start in the history of the Tour of the Alps with preliminary operations in the beautiful Piazza Duomo, the press conference on the eve and the start of the first stage ending in Innsbruck.
The capital of Tyrol will be the starting point of the second stage, entirely Tyrolean, with the uphill finish in Feichten im Kaunertal. Imst and Tyrol will likewise host the start of the third stage which will lead the race back to South Tyrol, with the finish in Naturns/Naturno. From there the race moves to Trentino, precisely to Valle del Chiese and the town of Pieve di Bono.
The fifth and final stage, entirely held in Trentino, will lead the peloton from the Valle del Chiese, Idroland, to Riva del Garda. Garda Trentino will crown the winner of the 2021 Tour of the Alps.
The leitmotif is therefore the same: short but intense stages, faithful to the #LiveUphill payoff. The World cycling stars will ensure a unique event: the Tour of the Alps adds to its appeal year after year, and it was credited by the International Federation with the inclusion in the prestigious UCI Pro Series category.
The roll of honor of the race features some of the most prominent names in cycling. Geraint Thomas won in 2017, while in 2018 it was Thibaut Pinot’s time, with Chris Froome building his condition towards the Giro d’Italia triumph. In 2019 a young rider with a bright future emerged, Pavel Sivakov, the protagonist of an exceptional challenge with Vincenzo Nibali.
THE STAGES
Stage 1 – Brixen/Bressanone – Innsbruck, 142,8 Km
Elevation gain: 1950 m. Difficulty: **
Stage 2 – Innsbruck – Feichten im Kaunertal, 121,5 Km
Elevation gain: 2640 m. Difficulty: ***
Stage 3 – Imst – Naturns/Naturno, 162 Km
Elevation gain: 2290 m. Difficulty: ***
Stage 4 – Naturns/Naturno – Valle del Chiese/Pieve di Bono, 168,6 Km
Elevation gain: 3880 m. Difficulty: ****
Stage 5 – Valle del Chiese/Idroland – Riva del Garda, 120,9 Km
Elevation gain: 2230 m. Difficulty: ***
Arco (Italy), July 14th, 2020
