The build-up to the 2019 Tour de France continues apace with the 83^rd edition of the Tour de Suisse starting on Saturday 15^th June. Alongside the Critérium du Dauphiné, the Tour de Suisse provides the perfect platform for WorldTour riders to test their form ahead of July’s Tour de France.

The nine-stage race begins with a 9.5km individual time-trial around the Emme Valley, starting and finishing in Langnau. Stages two to four favour the climbers, albeit stage four could come down to a breakaway. After a flat stage five, stage six could see the first real battle for GC with a brutal 10.8km ascent of 9% to the line in Flumserberg. From there, the race hots up with a summit finish, another individual time-trial and the final queen stage that features three hors-categorie climbs.

Team Ineos bring a powerful squad to Switzerland including 2018 Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas and 22-year-old sensation Egan Bernal. Thomas’ form has grown through the season, culminating in third overall at last month’s Tour de Romandie, while Bernal’s recovered from the fractured collarbone that prevented him leading the team at the Giro d’Italia. He’s now fully fit and looking to repeat the form that saw him win March’s Paris-Nice and take third at Volta a Catalunya.

World champion Alejandro Valverde leads Movistar Team and, according to reports, looks set to line up at the Tour de France alongside Nairo Quintana and Mikel Landa. Carlos Betancur and Winner Anacona are at the heart of a strong support team.

Pierre Latour heads France’s AG2R La Mondiale. Latour’s intent on showing the confidence and guile that helped him slip into the 2018 Tour de France white jersey after a bad fall at the UAE Tour earlier in the season. Latour’s sought peak fitness on the team’s recent Sierra Nevada training camp alongside one of the Tour de France favourites, Romain Bardet.

With Primož Roglič not racing the Tour de France and Steven Kruijswijk competing at the Critérium du Dauphiné, Team Jumbo-Visma’s Tour de Suisse ambitions centre on individual stage victories. Sprinter Danny van Poppel holds the team’s best chance of success on the flat fifth stage.