Favorites stage 4 Tour of Switzerland 2024 | Big climber's raffle on Gotthard Pass!

Halfway through the stage race, we're heading into the high mountains for the first time, with a finish at the well-known Gotthard Pass, attracting holidaymakers heading towards South/Central Europe.

However, we'll reach the top of this famous mountain pass after a relatively flat stage, starting from Rüschlikon (the finish town of Tuesday's stage). After about 155 kilometers, the two-step climb begins, consisting of ascents to Schöllenen (4.5 kilometers at an average gradient of 8.0%) and ultimately the Gotthard Pass itself (8.1 kilometers at an average gradient of 7.0%).

Climbs
5.3 km: Albispass (3.3 km at 7.0%)
156.9 km: Schöllenen (4.5 km at 8.0%)
170.9 km: Gotthardpass (8.1 km at 7.0%)  

Times
Start: 12:30 p.m.
Finish: approximately 5 p.m.

In the starting location Rüschlikon, the weather around noon on Wednesday is fine. The chance of precipitation can be considered negligible, while the temperature will be around seventeen to eighteen degrees Celsius. The finish is at an altitude of two kilometers, where it will logically be much cooler. A temperature of around five to ten degrees Celsius is expected there, while it could also rain heavily on and around the Gotthard Pass. However, Swiss meteorologists seem to be somewhat divided on this...

In stage four, we will climb for the first time, so it is not really possible to assess the climbing abilities based on the first three relatively flat stages. Nevertheless, there are a few names that stand out as favorites for a stage like this. First and foremost, we have Mattias Skjelmose of Lidl-Trek, not least because of the winning vibe within the American team. Last year, the Dane won the Swiss preparation race for the Tour, so his good memories also play a role. Skjelmose has been alert in the first three stages, so we can consider him one of the favorites.

Wout Poels also deserves a mention. The Limburger of Bahrain Victorious missed out on participating in the Giro d'Italia, took his revenge in the Tour of Hungary, and now hopes to secure a spot in the Tour de France. The veteran will be keen on a good result, which he could achieve on the Gotthard Pass. The same goes for Felix Gall, the Austrian leader of the Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale team. Last year, he won a stage in Switzerland, and this year he hopes to replicate that performance with an eye on his leadership role in the Tour. The atmosphere within the team will certainly play a role as well.

From a Dutch-Belgian perspective, attention is focused on Wilco Kelderman and Cian Uijtdebroeks, both riding for Visma | Lease a Bike. Kelderman is sitting in a respectable third place in the overall classification after three stages, while Uijtdebroeks has returned to racing after his Giro DNF. After three Swiss (although the race also went through Liechtenstein) stages, he is currently in 26th place in the standings, although the time differences are still small.

The yellow jersey is currently held by EF Education-EasyPost's Alberto Bettiol after three days, who himself expressed his hope for a few good days from teammate Richard Carapaz, who in turn, along with Giro revelation Georg Steinhauser, will have to take on the main challenges. Also, in-form Lenny Martinez, who has already secured several victories this year, must certainly be mentioned as a formidable contender.

INEOS Grenadiers, on the other hand, have two aces up their sleeve in Tom Pidcock and Egan Bernal. Both men have ambitions for leadership roles in the Tour in their own right, so they will undoubtedly give their best in this first mountain stage. Movistar captain Enric Mas might seem to want to remain somewhat in the background, but he will also need to step up tomorrow. Practically the same goes for the UAE Team Emirates riders Adam Yates and Joao Almeida, both almost certain to participate in the Tour.

Top favorites: Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) and Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates)
Outsiders: Egan Bernal, Tom Pidcock (both INEOS Grenadiers), Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) and Lenny Martinez (Groupama-FDJ)
Long shots: Felix Gall (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale), Enric Mas (Movistar), Wout Poels (Bahrain Victorious), Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost), Wilco Kelderman and Cian Uijtdebroeks (both Visma | Lease a Bike)