Tour de Suisse 2026 stage 2 preview | Explosive final on the cards for both men and women

The opening stages of the Tour de Suisse has completely blown the race wide open for both the men and the women. And on Thursday, the action continues unabated. Stage 2 brings a relatively flat start, with a fantastic finale. IDL Pro Cycling previews both the women's (morning) and the mens' (afternoon) races.

Another early start awaits the women in Switzerland. Just like the previous day, the race starts and finishes in the exact same location, a trend that will continue throughout the entire week. This time, Locarno is the host city. From there, the riders head in an easterly direction before turning north, where the route runs along the Ticino river and remains flat for a long time.

While there are some bonus sprints and a regular intermediate sprint along the way, the real action will defer to the finale. It kicks off with about 20 kilometres to go via a brace of categorised climbs. The first is the Fanghi climb, which averages 7 per cent over 3.6 kilometres. From the summit, the riders dive straight into the descent towards the Consiglio Mezzano, which is shorter but steeper at 1.4 kilometres and 8,9 per cent.

It forms a tough double-salvo. After crossing the top of the final climb, around eight kilometres remain until the finish line, with a relatively technical descent delivering the race into the final five flat kilometres. These are not overly technical, although a few corners do pepper the final kilometre. It is nothing out of the ordinary, and we do not expect a large group to survive at the front anyway.

Times
Start: 9:32 a.m CET
Finish: around 12:15 p.m CET

The starting point for the men is also Locarno, but the opening phase will take a different shape, serving up quite a few more vertical metres. Instead of cycling to the north, the men turn right towards the south, heading in the direction of Lugano. There, the second-category Monte Caneri lies in wait, arriving within the first twenty kilometres of racing.

The route remains somewhat undulating until it joins the same roads used by the women. In short: flat, flat, flat, until the finale hits Locarno. The two final climbs are bound to guarantee a beautiful showdown!

Times
Start: 2:09 p.m CET
Finish: around 5:49 p.m CET

Scorching temperatures are once again forecasted in Switzerland. In Locarno, the mercury will rise to 32 degrees, with only a gentle breeze that will offer very little cooling relief. There is also a slight chance of showers, with potential thunderstorms developing later in the day.

The first stage showed that the Tour de Suisse will be hard to predict. Femke de Vries (Visma | Lease a Bike) won that stage. This stage might suit her a little less, but the yellow jersey wearer will undoubtedly want to maintain her lead. Who knows where that will lead. In any case, competition will come from frustrated top riders.

Keep an eye on Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) and Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon//SRAM), who finished about 40 seconds behind the winner. That group also included Kim Le Court (AG Insurance - Soudal), who, with her final sprint, might well be considered the top favorite. Sarah van Dam (Visma | Lease a Bike) and Marlen Reusser (Movistar) could also win a sprint, as could home rider Steffi Häberlin (SD Worx-Protime).

The descent must suit Cédrine Kerbaol. The French rider from EF Education-Oatly had already broken away on the descent on Wednesday, but had to settle for third place. Lauren Dickson (FDJ-SUEZ) lost the sprint to De Vries and finished second, but she also has teammate Juliette Berthet riding alongside her.

We’ll also be keeping an eye on the fast riders who lost a bit more time on Day 1. Karlijn Swinkels (UAE Team ADQ), for example, or Liane Lippert (Movistar). Are there any other attackers who might sense an opportunity? Just look at Sara Casasola, Yara Kastelijn(Fenix-Premier Tech), and Thalita de Jong (Human Powered Health).

Top Favorite: Kim Le Court (AG Insurance - Soudal)
Dark horses: Karlijn Swinkels, Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ), Sarah Van Dam (Visma | Lease a Bike), Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon//SRAM), and Cédrine Kerbaol (EF Education-Oatly)
Long shots: Femke de Vries (Visma | Lease a Bike), Liane Lippert, Marlen Reusser (Movistar), Lauren Dickson, Juliette Berthet (FDJ-SUEZ), Yara Kastelijn, Sara Casasola (Fenix-Premier Tech), Steffi Häberlin (SD Worx-Protime), and Thalita de Jong (Human Powered Health)

The first stage immediately set the tone for the men’s race. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) clearly won’t tolerate any competition in Switzerland, but on Thursday, there will be opportunities for the other riders. If he doesn’t want to go for it himself, teammates Jhonatan Narváez and Brandon McNulty will be licking their lips.

The stage is generally a bit less challenging, so an explosive finish should make for some exciting action. We might see riders like Thibau Nys, Andrea Bagioli (Lidl-Trek), Andrew August (Netcompany INEOS), and Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ) in the mix. Swiss champion Mauro Schmid (Jayco AlUla) is surely eager to win a stage as well.

But there’s also a good chance we’ll head to the finish with a slightly larger group. And if we head to the finish with twenty or thirty riders, would Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech) still be in the mix? It might be a close call, but if he makes it, he’ll immediately be one of the fastest. The same goes for riders like Corbin Strong (NSN), Michael Matthews (Jayco AlUla), and the strong climber Mathias Vacek (Lidl-Trek).

Liam Slock (Lotto-Intermarché), Paul Lapeira (Decathlon CMA CGM), Ilan Van Wilder (Soudal Quick-Step), and Marc Hirschi (Tudor) could also finish strong in a small breakaway group. Riders who definitely don’t want to sprint: Wilco Kelderman (Visma | Lease a Bike), Tiesj Benoot (Decathlon CMA CGM), and Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost).

Top Favorites: Jhonatan Narváez and Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG)
Dark horses: Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech), Mathias Vacek, Thibau Nys (Lidl-Trek), Mauro Schmid (Jayco AlUla), and Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates-XRG)
Long shots: Michael Matthews (Jayco AlUla), Corbin Strong (NSN), Ilan Van Wilder (Soudal Quick-Step), Wilco Kelderman (Viam | Lease a Bike), Paul Lapeira, Tiesj Benoot (Decathlon CMA CGM), Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost), Liam Slock (Lotto-Intermarché), Andrea Bagioli (Lidl-Trek), Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ), and Andrew August (Netcompany INEOS)