Organisers of the Tour de Suisse announced on Friday that the queen stage of the 2024 edition will be shortened because snow-clearing crews have not been able to guarantee a safe crossing of the Furka and Nufenen passes.
The 151.1-kilometre Tour de Suisse route for stage 6, due to take place on June 14, was scheduled to start in Locarno and traverse the Nufenenpass (2,478m) with an alternative route via the Gotthard and Furka Passes.
Article continues below"Safety is our top priority and this applies to the riders, support vehicles and spectators," Tour de Suisse Director Olivier Senn said. "Of course we are disappointed that the Queen Stage cannot take place as planned. But mother nature and the weather are beyond our control and we must accept that."
The organisers praised the Goms Nordic Centre for agreeing to host the stage start with such short notice.
"We are delighted to have found an alternative start site with enough space for the entire Tour entourage so quickly," Senn said.
"We would like to take this opportunity to thank the local organisers in Locarno who have been most understanding with our decision not to hold the start in Ticino."
As a result of the shortening, the prize for the first rider to cross the highest pass in the Tour de Suisse on the Nufenen Pass will now be awarded on the Gotthard Pass on stage 4. The prize will honour Gino Mäder, who died as a result of crash injuries during the 2023 Tour de Suisse.
The shortening of the Tour de Suisse stage comes less than a month after the Giro d'Italia organisers were forced to remove the Umbrail Pass from stage 16 at the last minute.
