The 2024 Tour of the Alps will cover 709.3 kilometres and 13,250 metres of elevation gain on the five-day journey from Neumarkt/Egna to the finale in Levico Terme, both in Italy, with one-and-a-half days in Austria. The UCI ProSeries event runs from April 15 to 19.
Stage 1 begins Monday, April 15 in Egna, covering 133.3 km. The climbing adventure begins just 26km from the start with the long category 3 Andalo, a 15km ascent that averages 5.1%. After a category 2 ascent at Penon (4.4% at 9.4%), the decisive climb could be just 17km from the finish in Cortina sulla Strada del Vino, a second climb of Penon on a finishing circuit.
Stage 2 offers this year's longest route at 189.1km, and the second highest amount of elevation gain, 2,510 metres, for racing into Tirol. Once the peloton speeds past the first of two intermediate sprints 22.5km from the start in Salorno, it is all a gradual uphill for the next 93km, where the route reaches the summit at Brenner. On the other side, a series of climbs lead to the category 2 Gnadenwald (4.6km at 7.4%) which will launch riders to the final 15.5km to an uphill finish in Stans.
The third stage, 127km, takes place completely in Austria with the start and end in Schwaz. Once out of the Tyrolean city in the lower Inn valley, the route follows a rolling path across the first 85km, then takes on a pair of categorised climbs twice with a finishing circuit. First is the Weerbert, at 3.2km and 9.5%, then immediately the riders are on the ascent of Pillberg, at 3.2km and 9.9%. After the second circuit, the descent from the Pillberg will see riders plummet down the final 6km to the finish in Schwaz.
Following a transfer back to Italy, the peloton will ride the final two stages in Trentino. Stage 4 on Thursday is the queen stage with 141.3km across 3,830 metres of elevation gain starting at Laives. There are only two categorised climbs - Passo del Compet (10.2km at 8.1%) and Passo del Vetriolo (9.3km at 8.7%) - which come back to back on the second half of the route, but four other climbs in the mix pack a punch. The final climb is Col San Marco (5.2km at 7%) and it provides a launchpad with 9.1km remaining to the finish in Borgo Valsugana.
Stage 5 features a start and finish in Levico Terme, with 118.6km and 2,490 metres of elevation gain to determine the overall winner. Two ascents of the cat 1 Palù del Fersina (12.5km at 6.2%) punctuate the decisive journey. Once across the summit a second time, it is only 16km to the finish.
