A prologue, no time trial as tradition would have it, plenty of mountains, even more than usual: in six days of racing, 851 km and 14,266 meters of elevation gain. These are the numbers for the Tour de Romandie 2026 which will take place from April 28 to May 3.

A "reduced" race: four WorldTour teams have chosen not to participate in this classic stage race which - in today's hyper-scheduled cycling calendar - is finding itself increasingly squeezed between the end of the spring classics and the start of the season's first Grand Tour. Alpecin - Premier Tech, Decathlon CMA CGM, Lotto Intermarchè and Uno-X Mobility have chosen not to start. Alongside the 14 WorldTour teams, only one invited ProTeam, Tudor Pro Cycling.

In light of so many absences, the organizers of the Swiss race can "console" themselves with the announced participation of world champion Tadej Pogacar who will thus make his debut on the roads of French-speaking Switzerland.

THE STAGES
April 28 - prologue - Villars-sur-Glâne - km 3.2 - elevation 69 m.
April 29 - Stage 1 - Martigny (circuit) - km 170.6 - elevation 1,985 m.
April 30 - Stage 2 - Rue - Vucherens - km 173.1 - elevation 3,104 m.
May 1 - Stage 3 - Orbe (circuit) - km 176.6 - elevation 2,409 m.
May 2 - Stage 4 - Broc - Charmey - km 149.6 - elevation 3,175 m.
May 3 - Stage 5 - Lucens - Leysin - km 178.2 - elevation 3,524 m.