“Tour de Suisse expects Mathieu van der Poel to join Tadej Pogačar on start list”

Van der Poel has raced the Tour de Suisse only once so far, back in 2021. That year, he won stage two in Lachen and stage three in Pfaffnau in impressive fashion, performances that ultimately formed part of the foundation for his first yellow jersey at the Tour de France on the Mûr-de-Bretagne. He did not finish the Swiss race that year, withdrawing because of a cold.

In recent years, the Alpecin-Premier Tech rider has opted for a different approach toward the Tour de France. By now, however, he appears to have learned that he is at his best when he has a preparatory race in his legs. Last year, that was the Critérium du Dauphiné, while in 2024 he went into the Tour without a preparation race. In 2023, Van der Poel rode the Baloise Belgium Tour, and in 2022 he competed in the Giro d’Italia.

The Tour de Suisse has opted for a different format from this year. Where the race previously still branded itself as the “fourth grand tour,” the event will now consist, for the first time, of five stages with starts and finishes in the same locations, using circuit-style routes. That applies to both the men’s and women’s races.

For now, the new approach appears to be attracting a strong field. Tadej Pogačar already announced in the winter that he would make his debut in the race, while Matteo Jorgenson, Matthew Brennan, Tom Pidcock, Primož Roglič and Lenny Martinez also seem to be preparing for Switzerland. According to HLN, the Swiss organisers are therefore also counting on Philipsen and Van der Poel.

In the women’s race, Marlen Reusser and Demi Vollering are on the start list for the event, which begins on June 17 in the Italian town of Sondrio. Later stages will also take place in Locarno, Bad Ragaz, Aarburg and Villars-sur-Ollon.