The 2022 Tour of the Alps (April 18-22) teams were announced In Lienz (Tirol) with a notable 10 WorldTour teams
Expectations for a spectacular 2022 Tour of the Alps are now even higher. GS Alto Garda, organizers of the Euro-regional cycling event, which is part of the UCI Pro Series, revealed via web streaming on Thursday, February 10, the teams that will take to the start of the 2022 edition, scheduled for April 18 to 22.
The presentation, held in Lienz (Tirol), home of the 2022 edition’s grand finale, and broadcasted on the event’s web and social platforms, confirmed how the Tour of the Alps is an event with broad international appeal and prestige. This is in addition to being the most credible test for racers who intend to try their hand at the Giro d’Italia a few weeks later.
“We are happy to host two stages of the 2022 Tour of the Alps in Osttirol, thereby continuing a 25-year collaboration with the organization. In addition to Lienz, Kals am Grossglockner will welcome the race to the Osttirol National Park. For us, the Tour of the Alps represents an opportunity to show our region to the world,” said TVB Osttirol President, Franz Theurl.
In addition to Franz Theurl, the General Manager of the Tour of the Alps, Maurizio Evangelista, the Managing Director of Tirol Werbung, Florian Phleps, the Head of PR and Events of IDM South Tyrol, Andreas Tschurtschenthaler, and the CEO of Trentino Marketing, Maurizio Rossini, took part in the presentation.
Of the 19 teams that will start from Cles on Monday, April 18, 10 belong to the UCI WorldTeam category. Due to an uncertain health situation that is adversely affecting the teams’ racing schedules, organizers are prepared to welcome a 20th UCI WorldTeam squad. For this same reason, it’s still too early to announce the top names participating in the race, while the WorldTeams’ racing schedules are still being finalized.
As usual, Team INEOS Grenadiers will take part in the Tour of the Alps with the big names of its Giro d’Italia selection, including 2015 Giro del Trentino winner, Richie Porte, and 2019 Tour of the Alps champion, Pavel Sivakov.
The Astana Qazaqstan Team, squad to Vincenzo Nibali, Joe Dombrowski and Miguel Angel Lopez, will test its mettle on the Tour of the Alps stages, as will the team Bahrain-Victorious and its leader, Pello Bilbao, runner-up in TotA’s last edition and stage winner in Pieve di Bono. Bora-Hansgrohe’s leader, Wilco Keldermann, confirmed his presence at the Tour of the Alps, as did his young teammate, Cian Uijtdebroecks, and 2018 winner Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ), who will try to relaunch his career at one of his favorite races. Completing the list of WorldTeam squads are AG2R Citroen, EF Education-EasyPost, Israel-Premier Tech, Team Movistar, and Team DSM.
Tour of the Alps’ organizers announced the presence of eight UCI ProTeam squads, starting with the Italian teams Drone Hopper–Androni Giocattoli, Bardiani-CSF-Faizanè, and Eolo-Kometa. Among the international squads, the spotlight shines on Spain’s Caja Rural Seguros, Equipo Kern Pharma, and Euskaltel Euskadi, Russia’s Gazprom-Rusvelo, and Norway’s Uno-X. The Tour of the Alps will also welcome a Continental team, the Austrian Tirol KTM Cycling Team, representing the Tyrol region.
We are happy this year to be able to announce a technical profile of absolute prestige,” commented Tour of the Alps’ GM, Maurizio Evangelista, “This is in line with the recognition that our technical prowess has gained in recent years. We hope that young racers will show their talent and step into the spotlight alongside the known champions who are also racing at the 2022 Tour of the Alps.”
“In our talks with teams in recent months, an objective difficulty in making long-term plans has emerged due to the existing situation related to COVID, and to the different dynamics of the 2022 calendar compared to a typical April. Also, for this reason, our lineup leaves the door open to an eventual twentieth team from the WorldTour category, should the conditions present themselves”.
2022 TOUR OF THE ALPS TEAMS
UCI WORLD TOUR
AG2R Citroën Team (France)
Astana Qazaqstan Team (Kazakhstan)
Bahrain – Victorious (Bahrain)
BORA – hansgrohe (Germany)
EF Education-EasyPost (United States)
Groupama – FDJ (France)
INEOS Grenadiers (UK)
Israel – Premier Tech (Israel)
Movistar Team (Spain)
Team DSM (Germany)
UCI PRO TEAMS
Bardiani-CSF-Faizanè (Italy)
Caja Rural-Seguros RGA (Spain)
Drone Hopper-Androni Giocattoli (Italy)
Eolo-Kometa (Italy)
Equipo Kern Pharma (Spain)
Euskaltel-Euskadi (Spain)
Gazprom-Rusvelo (Russia)
Uno-X Pro Cycling Team (Norway)
CONTINENTAL TEAMS
Tirol KTM Cycling Team (Austria)
START FROM TRENTINO, FINISH IN TYROL: FROM CLES TO LIENZ
The Tour of the Alps starts once again from Trentino, the region that hosted the final showdown of the 2021 edition. Cles is ready to inaugurate the start of the Euro-regional cycling event by hosting the rollout of stage 1 on Monday, April 18. The finish line is located 160.9 km away in Primiero/San Martino di Castrozza.
On Tuesday, April 19, the riders will face an uphill start in stage 2, which spans 154.1 km from Primiero/San Martino di Castrozza to Lana, in South Tyrol. The Tour of the Alps’ stage 3 will be held entirely in South Tyrol on Wednesday, April 20, and covers 154.6 km from Lana to Niederdorf/Villabassa. This stage is marked by the Furkelpass/Passo Furcia, the queen climb of the 2022 Tour of the Alps.
With the 142.4-km stage 4, Niederdorf/Villabassa to Kals am Groβglockner, on the schedule for Thursday, April 21, the Tour of the Alps enters Tyrol through the Pustertal/Val Pusteria and a section of Carinthia to end with a grand finale defined by a 12.5-km climb in the shadow of Austria’s highest peak, the Groβglockner. The Osttirol, a companion region to the Tour of the Alps from the old Giro del Trentino days, will host stage 5 (Lienz-Lienz, 115.9 km) on Friday, April 22.
728 KM AND 13900 METERS OF ELEVATION GAIN: THE 2022 TOTA STAGES
Monday, April 18
Stage 1: Cles-Primiero/S. Martino di Castrozza, 160.9 km
Elevation Gain: 2950 m.
Difficulty: ***
Tuesday, April 19
Stage 2: Primiero/S. Martino di Castrozza-Lana, 154.1 km
Elevation Gain: 3200 m.
Difficulty: ***
Wednesday, April 20
Stage 3: Lana-Niederdorf/Villabassa, 154.6 km
Elevation Gain: 3050 m.
Difficulty: ****
Thursday, April 21
Stage 4: Niederdorf/Villabassa-Kals am Groβglockner, 142.4 km
Elevation Gain: 2400 m.
Difficulty: ****
Friday, April 22
Stage 5: Lienz-Lienz, 115.9 Km
Elevation Gain: 2300 m.
