With the high mountains rearing up on stage five, today’s race represents the last chance for sprinters such as Tom Boonen, Robbie McEwen, Oscar Freire and Erik Zabel to take an important pre-Tour victory against their green jersey rivals. On paper the stage looks moderate enough for a bunch sprint but the climbs in this Tour de Suisse climbs have perhaps proved tougher than their ranking suggests, so anything could happen.
The 161.3 kilometre route from Niederbipp to La Chaux-de-Fonds features a bonus sprint after 75.3 kilometres on Mont Soleil. Both the name and the profile map suggest that this is a climb but it has not be classified accordingly. The second bonus sprint comes at La Ferrière, 101.4 kilometres in, while third categorie climbs await at Vue des Alpes and Col de la Tourne (118.8 km and 143.4 kilometres respectively).
-
'Still work to be done' for Cian Uijtdebroeks in recovery from ongoing leg issues
Belgian was a late scratch from Tour de Romandie startlist for Visma-Lease a Bike -
Abus Bordo 6200K bike lock review: For when convenience trumps security
Does this compact folding lock strike the perfect balance between portability and protection? -
Cyclingnews Labs: A complete guide to all our industry-leading in-depth tech tests
From wind tunnels and rolling resistance rigs to bibshort pressure-mapping, here's all of our comprehensive testing in one place -
The master and mentor – Romain Bardet prepares for his Grand Tour farewell at the Giro d'Italia
'Really try to experience everything you do and grab every opportunity that comes along' French rider tells his Picnic PostNL teammates
