Each lap totals 39 kilometres. But since the first round is partly neutralized the race is 155 kilometres. Last year, Tour de Suisse’s 2nd stage was a similar hilly criterium and Philippe Gilbert won the bunch sprint.
Shortly after the start a 2.5 kilometres hill at 4% makes way for a 800 metres hurdle at 5%. In each round these are the warm-up stretches. A little over 15 kilometres into the lap a punchy 2 kilometres appears – 6.5% on average but with a steepest ramp at 20%. Straight after the descent the last uphill sector accounts for 3.3 kilometres at 3.5%.
On the last crest the route is at its highest elevation – 625 metres. The riders drop down to 400 metres before 6 kilometres on the flat run to the (passage on the) line.
The first three riders take time bonuses of 10, 6 and 4 seconds, while three intermediate sprints (at kilometre 50.5, at kilometre 89.5, at kilometre 128.5) come with 3, 2 and 1 seconds.
Read also: results/race report 2nd stage 2018 Tour de Suisse.
Tour de Suisse 2018 stage 2: Route maps, height profiles, and more
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