Tour de Suisse 2024 – Stage 1 (Prologue)

We have so few prologues that I always tend to forget the rules. I will call it stage 1, even if you like it or not. It is a short one. In Vaduz.

Route

Flat as a pancake.

Just four corners. It looks like the corner in the top left corner is the trickiest. But I can’t get access to the route through Google Maps, like because they are using smaller roads.

Weather

Rainy from 15:00. It more or less means that anyone starting after that is going to have a tough time. The first rider start 14:08 and the last 16:55. The wind direction seems the same for the riders, it changes after 18:00 but everyone is finished by then.

Contenders

Joao Almeida (14:14) – it has been a few years since he has done a prologue. He has become more consistent against the clock, especially in 2023 took him to new heights. A top-10.

Stefan Küng (14:22) – he never really has his luck in prologues. Just one win in the discipline back in 2024. I’d still expect him to finish in the top-3.

Alberto Bettiol (14:23) – it is a good discipline for him. He won the prologue in Down Under 2023, and was 4th not long ago in Boucles de la Mayanne. I’d expect a top-3.

Kevin Vauquelin (14:29) – Very consistent against the clock but I think he would have prefered a few climbing meters here. A top-10.

Maxim van Gils (14:36) – He won the short time trial in Andalucia this winter. A hillier short time trial and on cobblestones. Still, given his level this season, a top-5 should be possible.

Michael Matthews (14:40) – it doesn’t look like his season. A top-10 should still be possible.

Yves Lampaert (14:42) – won the time trial in Tour de France 2022. He goes very well in flat and short time trials. I think he can win this.

Ethan Hayter (14:45) – I don’t have any expectations from him anymore. He won the prologue here in 2022 but he has not been very good the past 18 months.

Stefan Bissegger (14:47) – I’d expect him in the top-10, potentially top-5. It isn’t something that suits him.

Mattias Skjelmose (14:55) – I’d go for a top-10. He is excellent against the clock but this is a completely flat time trial. And that doesn’t suit him.

Who will win?

I will take a win for Alberto Bettiol.