Valchiavenna prepares to welcome the Tour de Suisse for the first time, a special event ready to bring great sport and passion for cycling to the territory. Next Wednesday, June 18th, the fourth stage of the Swiss race, now in its 88th edition, will arrive in Piuro for a very special day. It had been 30 years since the Tour de Suisse came to Italy, thus renewing a productive and continuous exchange between our country and a race that every year delivers great emotions.

In the 2024 edition, we witnessed the in-house UAE duel between Adam Yates, who ultimately won the final classification, and Joao Almeida, who will return this year seeking revenge. Once again, many champions will be at the start, including Tom Pidcock, Juliana Alaphilippe, and the recent Giro d'Italia blue jersey winner Lorenzo Fortunato. The Swiss stage race, now firmly established in the World Tour calendar, will start on June 15th from Kussnacht with a dynamic 129.7 km stage, and on the fourth day of racing, the long-awaited arrival on Italian soil will take place. The Swiss caravan will depart from Heide, in German-speaking Switzerland near Lake Constance, for a particularly challenging stage with 3,067 m of elevation gain and will arrive in Piuro after 193 km. After a slightly uphill start, the group will face a long false flat that will take them to the foot of the Sufers climb, 3.4 km long, with an average of 5.7% and classified as a third-category climb. After reaching the Mountain Grand Prix, the climb will continue for another 9 kilometers until the Splugen Pass summit at 2,113 meters altitude. Once at the top, there will be a steep descent to Piuro where the group will face a final short climb.

"We are very excited about this great opportunity offered by the Tour de Suisse, the stage represents a welcome return after 30 years of a race that is at the top of world cycling. For many years now, we have decided to invest in cycle tourism, both for enthusiasts and professionals, and season after season we are growing more and more. The mountain community strongly wanted these types of events that bring great champions to our territory, as in the case of the Giro stage arrival at Alpe Motta with a beautiful victory by Damiano Caruso and then the under-23 race. Our territory constantly hosts sporting events, such as trekking which is always very present, but also everything related to bicycles, a continuous investment made possible by the cooperation project between Italy and Switzerland that has been in place for more than 25 years. We look at the Tour de Suisse stage with an eye towards the future, and who knows, maybe one day the Giro d'Italia will return, introducing the Spluga, which is a mythical and legendary climb," said Filippo Pighetti, president of the Valchiavenna Tourist Consortium, very proud of the important appointment.

The presentation, hosted by our Pietro Illarietti, took place at the Lombardy Region Palace, where the regional undersecretary with sports and youth delegation Federica Picchi made the introductions. "I thank the Tour de Suisse and the municipality of Chiavenna, which seized this opportunity, thanks to the Federation and all those working on this event. These are the appointments that make our region great and demonstrate its potential from a cultural, sporting, and environmental perspective. Cycling is a unique sport that embodies the values of respect for people and the environment, and we can only be proud to carry it forward. The stage will arrive in a particularly beautiful place, near the Acquafragia waterfalls, which is a beautiful and magical place. Long live cycling, long live Lombardy and Valchiavenna."