Tour de Romandie race guide
Wednesday 30 April 2014 13:03, UK
We preview the route for the key stage race clash as the climbers look to size up their rivals.
With the Spring Classics done and dusted the stage race elite return to the fore to tackle the Tour of Romandie (April 29 - May 4).
Team Sky head to the Romandie region as two-time defending champions after victories from Sir Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome in the last two editions.
The six-day event continues the recent trend of featuring no summit finishes, ensuring a tight and tense affair with every second counting ahead of a crucial time trial finale.
Froome returns to lead the Team Sky charge, looking to bounce back from a mild chest infection which forced him out of Liege-Bastogne-Liege at the last minutes.
Stages
Tuesday 29 April - Prologue: Ascona, 5.57km
The race kicks off with a prologue blast around Ascona to open up some brief time gaps among the contenders. The lakeside test is short and sharp, with the flat course providing a series of straights, separated by a sprinkling of tight and sweeping corners.
TV coverage: Live on Sky Sports 2 HD between 1500-1700.
Wednesday 30 April - Stage one: Ascona to Sion, 200.9km
A hefty test and the first road stage proper, the riders depart Ascona and head west for what should be an exciting test. The first-category Simplonpass is a significant obstacle, but 85.3km in it should not alter the course of the stage. The second-cat ramp at Lens could be a different story, with sprinters needing to be vigilant in order to duke it out following a descent into Sion.
TV coverage: Live on Sky Sports 2 HD between 1500-1700.
Thursday 1 May - Stage two: Sion to Montreux, 166.5km
A lumpy stage kicks off the month on May with a loop around Montreux requiring the utmost concentration. Two third-category climbs will not blow the race apart, but the undulating terrain and tricky descents could catch out the unwary. The descent back into Montreux again favours the sprinters, if they can make it over a slight bump in the final kilometres.
TV coverage: Live on Sky Sports 2 HD between 1500-1700.
Friday 2 May - Stage three: Le Bouveret to Aigle, 180.2km
The first significant mountain stage brings with it four hefty first-category peaks and a final dash into Aigle, the home of cycling's governing body the UCI. The twin tests of the Col des Planches (55.3km) and Champex-Lac (78.6km) will soften up the legs ahead of the finale. Les Giettes and finally Villars-sur-Ollon will see the contenders come to the fore. A fast descent into Aigle should produce a winner from a select group.
TV coverage: Live on Sky Sports 2 HD between 1500-1700.
Saturday 3 May - Stage four: Fribourg, 174km
Six laps of a tough Fribourg circuit greet the riders on a day which could swing towards a breakaway or the sprinters depending on who is willing to ride on the front. Each lap features a third-category rise which will wear on the riders over each pass.
TV coverage: Live on Sky Sports 4 HD between 1500-1700.
Sunday 4 May - Stage five: Neuchatel (individual time trial), 18.5km
The race will be decided against the clock with a time trial test. The out-and-back course heads to St-Blaise before the terrain ramps up for a loop taking in Cornaux and Frochaux. A fast run-in to the finish should suit the specialists and help produce a worthy winner to the race.
TV coverage: Live on Sky Sports 4 HD between 1230-1500.
