Two mountaintop finishes await in six-day Swiss race
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Snow-capped mountains provide the backdrop for the Romandie peloton.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Snowflakes fall while Nairo Quintana rides the Tour de Romandie prologue(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Michael Albasini attacks the breakaway group during the final Romandie stage(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Jon Izagirre on the podium after winning the Romandie prologue.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Tom Dumoulin (Giant-Alpecin) was second in the Romandie prologue time trial(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The Tour de Romandie unveiled its route for 2017 this week, with a pair of mountaintop finishes among the challenges awaiting the peloton in Switzerland this coming April.
Just as in 2016, next year's race will also include a pair of stages against the clock. The 2017 Tour de Romandie begins with a short prologue in Aigle on April 25. The races then heads immediately into the mountains for stage 1, which runs from Aigle to Champéry. A flatter stage 2 passes from Champéry, along the shore of Lake Geneva, to Bulle, leading into a looping stage 3 in and around Payerne.
The climbers will come to the fore again in stage 4, which finishes with an ascent to Leysin. The race concludes with an individual time trial in Lausanne.
Movistar's Nairo Quintana claimed the overall title in the 2016 edition of the WorldTour event, which often serves as an important spring tune-up for GC specialists targeting the Giro d'Italia or Tour de France. Reigning Tour de France champion Chris Froome (Sky) counts two GC wins and three stages on his career palmares.
2017 Tour de Romandie (April 25-30)
Tuesday, April 25 - Prologue: Aigle - Aigle, 4.8km Wednesday, April 26 - Stage 1: Aigle - Champéry, 168.6km Thursday, April 27 - Stage 2: Champéry - Bulle, 161.3km Friday, April 28 - Stage 3: Payerne - Payerne, 187km Saturday, April 29 - Stage 4: Domdidier - Leysin, 163.5km Sunday, April 30 - Stage 5: Lausanne - Lausanne (ITT), 18.3km
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