10th Anniversary #TotA opens with exciting Innsbruck stage

The Tour of the Alps and the Euregio Tirol, Südtirol/Alto Adige, Trentino both share the same goal: to break down borders and strengthen cooperation between territories in order to build an even more ambitious future.

This year marks the tenth anniversary of a milestone moment: in 2016, the euro-regional protocol agreement that gave birth to the event was signed. Innsbruck, host of the finish of the first historic Tour of the Alps stage in 2017, has been chosen as the starting venue for this special 49th edition, which includes the legacy of the Giro del Trentino.

While stage 1 - a challenging 144.3 km route starting and finishing in Innsbruck - will take place on Monday, April 20, Sunday, April 19 is dedicated to pre-race activities. From 14:30, preliminary operations begin at the Congress Innsbruck, building up to the most eagerly awaited moment: the team presentation.

At 17:00, the teams and riders will parade on the stage set up at Congress Innsbruck on Rennweg – venue of Alejandro Valverde’s 2018 World Championship triumph – before a city well accustomed to top-level cycling.

The presentation will open with institutional greetings from Peter Paul Mölk, President of Innsbruck Tourism, Harald Mayer, President of the Austrian Cycling Federation, and Giacomo Santini, Honorary President of the Tour of the Alps. First to take to the stage will be the Tudor Pro Cycling team, led by defending champion Michael Storer, with the Austrian National Team closing the parade. One hour earlier, at 16:00, the traditional favourites’ press conference will take place.

Four riders are tipped for overall victory: alongside Storer, the spotlight is on Colombian Egan Bernal (INEOS Grenadiers), Briton Tom Pidcock (Pinarello Q36.5) and Italian Giulio Pellizzari (RedBull-BORA-hansgrohe).

RedBull-BORA-hansgrohe will also have a strong line-up, supporting Pellizzari with Aleksandr Vlasov, Giovanni Aleotti and two promising young talents: Max Bock and the U23 UCI Road World Champion, Lorenzo Finn.

Canada’s Derek Gee, who came third in the 2025 edition and now leads Lidl-Trek, will be supported by Sam Oomen. Another of the most anticipated riders is Australia’s Ben O’Connor (Team Jayco-AlUla), who was runner-up in 2024.

EF Education EasyPost, Bahrain Victorious and Team Picnic PostNL will be led respectively by Jefferson Cepeda, Jakob Omrzel – winner of the 2025 Giro d’Italia NextGen – and Mattia Gaffuri.

Alongside the World Teams, the Tour of the Alps will welcome six ProTeams: Tudor Pro Cycling, Pinarello Q36.5, MBH Bank CSB Telecom, Bardiani CSF Faizanè, Team Polti VisitMalta and Solution Tech NIPPO Rali. The line-up is completed by Continental teams Vorarlberg and Team UKYO, as well as the Italian and Austrian national squads, embodying the event’s transnational spirit.

TWO HOURS OF LIVE COVERAGE WORLDWIDE 
The list of international broadcasters confirms the Tour of the Alps’ status as a global event, with near-total worldwide coverage.

Eurosport will deliver coverage across Europe and Asia, while HBO Max/Discovery+ and TNT Sports will carry the race in the UK. FloSports will broadcast in the United States and Canada, while X-Sports will serve Brazilian audiences.

The race will also be broadcast on Rai in Italy and San Marino, on ORF in Austria, on L’Equipe TV in France, Monaco and Andorra, and on Sports5 in Israel. EBU News will distribute highlights across Europe, as will NOS in the Netherlands. Live streaming will also be available via the 'Age of Sports' YouTube channel (Infront) in Africa, South America (excluding Brazil), Oceania, and parts of Asia, including Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Malaysia.

The Tour of the Alps will be broadcast live daily from 13:30 to 15:30 (CEST), except for Stage 3 on Wednesday, April 22nd, which will air from 12:30 to 14:30.

EURO-REGIONAL AGREEMENT RENEWAL CEREMONY IN INNSBRUCK TOMORROW
Innsbruck and Tirol are preparing to celebrate the Tour of the Alps with a variety of symbolic moments and a packed programme of side events. From the eve of the race, the euro-regional event will focus on public engagement, with entertainment provided by FantaCycling and Radio Viva FM – the event’s official radio partner – alongside a day filled with music, champions, and traditional Tyrolean hospitality.

On Monday, April 20th, before the start of the opening stage (Innsbruck–Innsbruck, 144.3 km), a special ceremony will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the project and mark the renewal of the transnational agreement for the next decade. Those in attendance will include Land Tirol and Euregio President Anton Mattle, Autonomous Province of Bozen/Bolzano President Arno Kompatscher, and Autonomous Province of Trento Vice President Achille Spinelli.

At 11:00, the Wiltener Stadtkapelle brass band will perform on Rennweg, followed by bike repair activities organised by Dust Bikes. Following the stage start at 11:45, the Innsbrucker Schwalben will liven up the afternoon with a group ride near the finish area at around 14:30.