With 9 World Teams, the 2024 Tour of the Alps promises a great spectacle

In just three months, the starting gun will fire for the 47th edition of the Tour of the Alps (April 15-19), beginning in Südtirol/Alto Adige. Neumarkt/Egna is set to host the preliminary operations and the kickoff of stage 1.

On Thursday, January 18, Südtirol/Alto Adige and its capital, Bozen/Bolzano, welcomed the announcement of the participating teams in the 2024 edition, at the Tirol-Südtirol/Alto Adige-Trentino Euroregion institutional venue, the Waaghaus/Casa della Pesa, a symbolic site for the Euroregional alliance.

Organized by GS Alto Garda, the Tour of the Alps will again field a quality lineup in 2024, confirming the event's consistently high technical standard. Milan's route presentation last November paved the way for another anticipated successful edition: the technical and demanding course, alongside the champions awaiting the start, represents a spectacular showcase for the territories, highlighting their beauty, similarities, and unique features.

The 47th Tour of the Alps will be broadcast worldwide for 2 hours daily, thanks to the production and distribution by Infront Sports & Media.

The press conference in Bozen/Bolzano was attended by Euregion Tirol-Südtirol/Alto Adige-Trentino General Secretary Christoph von Ach, Euregion Tirol-Südtirol/Alto Adige-Trentino's Head of Communication Karin Gschnitzer, IDM Südtirol's President Hansi Pichler, Neumarkt/Egna's Deputy Mayor Giorgio Nones, Castelfeder Tourism Board's Director Lukas Varesco, Salurn/Salorno's Assessor Samantha Endrizzi, Leifers/Laives's Deputy Mayor Giovanni Seppi, Südtirol/Alto Adige Italian Cycling Federation's President Paolo Appolloni, GS Alto Garda's President Giacomo Santini, Tour of the Alps' General Manager Maurizio Evangelista and the former pro' athlete Daniel Oss.

Teams from all over the World (including Japan) ready for the start

In Bozen/Bolzano, the Tour of the Alps’ Organizing Committee unveiled the first 18 competing teams. The event will evaluate the opportunity of integrating the list in the coming weeks, with selections aimed at further enhancing the event's technical level.

Nine World Tour teams have been confirmed (one more than in 2023), boasting some of the big names in world cycling: Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale (FRA), Bahrain Victorious (BRN), Bora-hansgrohe (GER), EF Education-EasyPost (USA), Team Jayco-Alula (AUS), INEOS Grenadiers (GBR), Movistar Team (ESP), DSM Firmenich-PostNL (NED), and Lidl-Trek (USA), along with 7 Professional Teams, Team Polti-Kometa (ITA), VF Group-Bardiani CSF Faizané (ITA), Corratec-Selle Italia (ITA), TDT-Unibet (NED), Tudor Pro Cycling (SUI), Equipo Kern Pharma (ESP), and Euskaltel Euskadi (ESP). A Continental squad, Team Ukyo (JPN), and the Austrian National Team, under the guidance of team coach Stefan Sölkner, complete the team list.

Although it's too early to know the details of the teams' selections, some major protagonists have already included the Tour of the Alps in their seasonal programs, vying for the title won by Tao Geoghegan Hart in 2023. Last year, the Brit entered the Giro d’Italia buoyed by his success on the Euroregional roads, until a severe fall ended his season prematurely. His teammate Geraint Thomas might return to the Tour of the Alps before tackling the Giro d’Italia, where he finished second last year after participating in the Euroregional event. Team INEOS Grenadiers has a proud history in the race organized by GS Alto Garda, with 5 victories in the last 8 editions: Porte (2015), Landa (2016), Thomas (2017), Sivakov (2019), and Geoghegan Hart (2023).

In 2024, the British squad will also feature Filippo Ganna, the Olympic Champion, who has marked the Tour of the Alps as a significant event in a season where he aims to be a protagonist both on the road and the track.

German Lennard Kämna, a stage winner in the last two TotA editions, will lead Bora-hansgrohe, while Lidl-Trek will be captained by Italian Giulio Ciccone and Spaniard Juan Pedro Lopez. Team Jayco-Alula will field two leaders: Irishman Eddie Dunbar and the former Italian Champion Filippo Zana, who will both participate in the 47th Tour of the Alps.

Bahrain Victorious is poised to be a key player at the Tour of the Alps, alongside Decathlon-AG2R, led by 2018 TotA stage winner Ben O’Connor and Aurelien Paret-Peintre. Team DSM Firmenich-PostNL could count on 2022 winner Romain Bardet, while Nairo Quintana’s Movistar Team, and EF Education-EasyPost, with its team of climbers, including Brit Hugh Carthy, who finished second overall last year, certainly have options to make things interesting, whatever their choices will be.

Among the Pro Continental Teams, along with Italian squads Polti-Kometa, VF Group-Bardiani CSF Faizané, and Corratec-Selle Italia, the Spanish duo of Kern Pharma and Euskaltel Euskadi are ready to ignite competition. Notable new entries include Tudor Pro Cycling, chaired by Fabian Cancellara, and TDT-Unibet, a Dutch team new to the Pro Continental circuit this year, known for its unconventional communication approach.

Additionally, the Tour of the Alps is set to welcome Team Ukyo from Japan, founded by former Formula One driver Ukyo Katayama and managed by the internationally experienced General Manager Alberto Volpi, as well as the Austrian National Team, which is a testament to the country's burgeoning cycling movement. Last year, Tyrolean Felix Gall secured victory in the queen stage of the Tour de France in Courchevel after showcasing his talent at the Tour of the Alps.

The Teams

World Teams

• Bahrain Victorious (Bahrain)
• BORA – hansgrohe (Germany)
• Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team (France)
• EF Education EasyPost (USA)
• INEOS Grenadiers (UK)
• Lidl-Trek (USA)
• Movistar Team (Spain)
• Team dsm-firmenich PostNL (Netherlands)
• Team Jayco AlUla (Australia)

Professional Teams

• Equipo Kern Pharma (Spain)
• Euskaltel Euskadi (Spain)
• TDT-Unibet Cycling Team (Netherlands)
• Team Corratec (Italy)
• Team Polti Kometa (Italy)
• Tudor Pro Cycling Team (Switzerland)
• VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè (Italy)

Continental Teams

• JCL Team UKYO (Japan)

National Selections

• Austria

Neumarkt/Egna, Kurtinig/Cortina, Salurn/Salorno, and Leifers/Laives: Südtirol/Alto Adige Takes Center Stage

Faithful to the rotation among the three territories, the start of the Tour of the Alps returns to Südtirol/Alto Adige: if it was Brixen/Bressanone three years ago, this time it’s Neumarkt/Egna's turn. Following the teams’ presentation on Sunday, April 14, the charming center nestled along the Weinstrasse/Strada del Vino, elected among Italy's most beautiful villages, will welcome the teams and champions on Monday, April 15, for the start of the first 133.3 km stage, which will conclude in Kurtinig a Weinstrasse/Cortina sulla Strada del Vino in Südtirol/Alto Adige.

The longest stage is set for Tuesday, April 16, spanning 189.1 km from Salurn/Salorno in Südtirol/Alto Adige to Stans in Tirol. Following the entirely Tirolean stage of 127 km with the start and finish in Schwaz on Thursday, April 18, Südtirol/Alto Adige will host the start of the queen stage in Leifers/Laives, culminating after 141.3 km and just under 4,000 meters of elevation gain in Borgo Valsugana, Trentino. The final stage of the Tour of the Alps on Friday, April 19, will take place entirely in Trentino's Valsugana, starting and finishing in Levico Terme, featuring a 118.6 km route.

The Euroregional stage race will be live broadcast for two hours each day.

THE STAGES

Monday, April 15, 2024
Stage 1: Neumarkt/Egna – Kurtinig an Weinstrasse/Cortina sulla Strada del Vino, 133.3 km
2,060 meters of elevation gain. Difficulty: ***

Tuesday, April 16, 2024
Stage 2: Salurn/Salorno - Stans, 189.1 km
2,510 meters of elevation gain. Difficulty: **

Wednesday, April 17, 2024
Stage 3: Schwaz - Schwaz, 127 km
2,360 meters of elevation gain. Difficulty: ***

Thursday, April 18, 2024
Stage 4: Leifers/Laives – Borgo Valsugana, 141.3 km
3,830 meters of elevation gain. Difficulty: ****

Friday, April 19, 2024
Stage 5: Levico Terme – Levico Terme, 118.6 km
2,490 meters of elevation gain. Difficulty: ***