Favorites stage 5 Tour of Switzerland 2025 | Twice the Mur de Huy = little to celebrate

We start Thursday in La Punt, where Robert Gesink once won a stage in the Tour de Suisse back in 2010. In 2023, another stage finished there, with Juan Ayuso of UAE showing the strongest legs.

From La Punt, the route heads toward Sankt Moritz, then quickly begins the Julier Pass. This climb is 7.3 kilometers long with an average gradient of 6.5 percent, but riders are rewarded with a 50-kilometer descent afterward.

Via Thusis, at 700 meters above sea level, the route then takes us to the top of the Passo del San Bernardino. This climb is officially 7.5 kilometers at 6.0 percent, but in reality, the road rises for nearly 45 kilometers. After the San Bernardino, there’s a straight descent down to the Castaneda climb.

This steep punch, 4.4 kilometers at 9.8 percent, must be conquered twice in the final phase, including a summit finish. The sting is definitely in the tail here, with two to three consecutive kilometers over 10 percent. If the best climbers don’t rise to the top here, we don’t know what will.

Climbs
23.3 km: Julierpass (7.3 km at 6.5%)
117.5 km: Passo del San Bernardino (7.5 km at 6.0%)
161.8 km:Castaneda (4.4 km at 9.8%)
181.6 km: Castaneda (4.4 km at 9.8%)

Times
Start: 12:05 PM
Finish: 5:00 PM

Not great, not terrible. There’s a chance of rain later in the day, while temperatures will hover around 15°C, depending on the altitude.

We already got a good sense of the pecking order in this Tour de Suisse on Wednesday. Joao Almeida, who was already the top favorite going into the race, dropped everyone on the Splügenpass and pulled off a 50-kilometer solo. If the Portuguese rider from UAE Emirates-XRG wants to win the overall classification, he’ll have to make another move from far out on Thursday.

The riders ahead of him fought like lions. Ben O'Connor (Jayco AlUla) was among the last three who could follow him, while young Frenchmen Kévin Vauquelin (Arkéa - B&B Hotels) and Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ) managed to catch back up on the descent and held their positions. Pablo Castrillo (Movistar) was also in the mix on both stage one and four.

Felix Gall (Decathlon AG2R) and Oscar Onley (Picnic PostNL) were the last to latch on to Almeida’s wheel, and after the Portuguese climber, they’re considered the strongest uphill. Onley even finished second in Italy, while Gall is known for thriving on the steepest gradients.

Well, who were still in the uphill group on Wednesday? Ilan Van Wilder (Soudal Quick-Step), Matthew Riccitello (Israel-Premier Tech), Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor), Lennard Kämna (Lidl-Trek) and Clément Champoussin (XDS-Astana) were also present in the group behind Almeida. 

And what about the early breakaway riders? Riders such as Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek) and Neilson Powless (EF) have been very active this race and it is possible that say Tiesj Benoot (Visma | Lease a Bike) also smells another chance, although it will be quite a struggle anyway.

Top favorite: Joao Almeida (UAE Emirates-XRG)
Outsiders: Felix Gall (Decathlon AG2R), Oscar Onley (Picnic PostNL) and Ben O'Connor (Jayco AlUla)
Long shots: Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ), Kévin Vauquelin (Arkéa - B&B Hotels), Ilan Van Wilder (Soudal Quick-Step), Matthew Riccitello (Israel-Premier Tech), Pablo Castrillo (Movistar) and Clément Champoussin (XDS-Astana)