Five days of Alpine racing before the Giro d'Italia
Tour of the Alps
The Tour of the Alps is where Giro contenders test their form on high mountain roads in late April, when the season's first Grand Tour is still close enough to matter.
Next edition Apr 19–23, 2027
- Location
- 🇮🇹 Italy
- When
- Mid April
- Course
- Stage Race
- Most recent winner
- 🇮🇹 Giulio Pellizzari (2026)
- Also known as
- Giro del Trentino (1962-2016)
- Category
- Men’s 2.Pro
About Tour of the Alps
The Tour of the Alps is a five-day cycling stage race held across northern Italy and Austria each April. First run in 1963 as the Giro del Trentino, it was rebranded in 2016 and now serves as the final proving ground for riders targeting the Giro d'Italia.
Also known as: Giro del Trentino (1962-2016) · Tour of the Alps
First raced in 1963, rebranded from Giro del Trentino to Tour of the Alps in 2016.
This is the last chance to see Grand Tour contenders under sustained climbing pressure before the Giro begins. The race runs through the Dolomites and Austrian Alps in late April, when snow still clings to the high passes and form is still uncertain. It rewards riders who can recover overnight and climb hard on consecutive days, making it a reliable test of stage-racing fitness rather than one-day explosiveness.
Tour of the Alps winners
| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 🇮🇹Giulio Pellizzari |
| 2025 | 🇦🇺Michael Storer |
| 2024 | 🇪🇸Juan Pedro Lopez |
| 2023 | 🇬🇧Tao Geoghegan Hart |
| 2022 | 🇫🇷Romain Bardet |
| 2021 | 🇬🇧Simon Yates |
2027 edition
Apr 19–23, 2027.
Tour of the Alps route
The race is usually decided by cumulative climbing across five stages rather than a single summit finish. Stages typically start in valley towns like Innsbruck or Bolzano and climb into the high Alps, with multiple categorized ascents per day. The winner needs to limit losses on the hardest climbs, recover well overnight, and avoid tactical isolation when the race fragments on steep gradients. Because the field includes Giro-bound GC riders and climbers chasing form, the racing is often controlled early and aggressive late. The race has to be shaped before the final acceleration, not simply left to the last decisive section on its own. Teams that can set tempo on long climbs and protect their leader through multiple summit finishes tend to control the outcome.
What shapes the race
Alpine climbing
The race crosses the Alps between Italy and Austria, with mountain stages that feature major passes and summit finishes at altitude.
Giro d Italia preparation
Held in April, the race is the primary form test for Grand Tour climbers before the Giro. The mountain terrain directly mirrors what riders will face in May.
Cross-border route
The route moves between the Italian Trentino-Alto Adige region and Austrian Tyrol, using Alpine passes to create a genuine mountain stage race.
Five-day format
Compact enough to attract riders building form, long enough to produce a genuine GC battle. Every stage carries weight in a five-day mountain race.
Signature landmarks
The Tour of the Alps crosses the heart of the European Alps between Italy and Austria, using the same mountain roads that define the Giro d Italia climbing stages.
- Mountain stages
Dolomite passes
The race uses Dolomite passes and valley roads that mirror the terrain of the Giro d Italia mountain stages. The same climbs, the same altitude, the same test.
- Cross-border terrain
Tyrolean valleys
Austrian stages through the Inn Valley and Tyrolean Alps add a different mountain character and connect the race to the broader Alpine cycling tradition.
- Italian base
Trentino-Alto Adige
The northern Italian region provides the anchor for most stages. The narrow valleys and steep gradients are characteristic of Alpine racing.
- GC deciders
Summit finishes
Most editions include at least one summit finish above 1,500 meters that serves as the decisive GC stage, mirroring what the Giro will demand weeks later.
History
Memorable editions
- 2021
Yates dominates the Alps
Simon Yates won with a commanding climbing display that confirmed the Tour of the Alps as the most important pre-Giro mountain test.
- 2022
Bardet signals Giro form
Romain Bardet won and went on to a strong Giro d Italia, validating the race as a direct form indicator for the first Grand Tour of the season.
- 2023
Geoghegan Hart returns to winning
Tao Geoghegan Hart used the Tour of the Alps to rebuild his career trajectory after injury, winning with climbing performances that echoed his 2020 Giro triumph.
Iconic victories
Simon Yates
Won in 2021 with mountain authority. The Tour of the Alps suited his aggressive climbing style and confirmed it as the race where Grand Tour form is first revealed.
Romain Bardet
The 2022 winner used the Alpine terrain to signal Giro d Italia readiness. His victory connected the race directly to Grand Tour outcomes.
Tao Geoghegan Hart
Won in 2023. The 2020 Giro champion used the Tour of the Alps to prove he could still climb with the best.
Vincenzo Nibali
Won the race multiple times when it was still the Giro del Trentino. Nibali dominance in the Alps defined the earlier era of the race.
Eras and records
The most important pre-Giro form test in the calendar, with a record book that connects the Dolomite climbing tradition to Grand Tour outcomes.
Race origins
Founded in 1962 as the Giro del Trentino. Renamed Tour of the Alps in 2017 to reflect its cross-border route into Austria.
Giro form indicator
The race has become the primary pre-Giro form test. Winners frequently go on to strong Grand Tour performances in May.
Most wins
Gilberto Simoni won the Giro del Trentino five times. In the modern Tour of the Alps era, no rider has yet won more than once.