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.
The Tour of the Alps is a five-day 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.
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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.
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.
The race crosses the Alps between Italy and Austria, with mountain stages that feature major passes and summit finishes at altitude.
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.
The route moves between the Italian Trentino-Alto Adige region and Austrian Tyrol, using Alpine passes to create a genuine mountain stage race.
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.
Simon Yates won with a commanding climbing display that confirmed the Tour of the Alps as the most important pre-Giro mountain test.
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.
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.
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.
The 2022 winner used the Alpine terrain to signal Giro d Italia readiness. His victory connected the race directly to Grand Tour outcomes.
Won in 2023. The 2020 Giro champion used the Tour of the Alps to prove he could still climb with the best.
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.
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.
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.
Austrian stages through the Inn Valley and Tyrolean Alps add a different mountain character and connect the race to the broader Alpine cycling tradition.
The northern Italian region provides the anchor for most stages. The narrow valleys and steep gradients are characteristic of Alpine racing.
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.
