Itinerary
Day 1: Ilanz — Davos
The first stage of this challenging road bike tour leads from Illanz, the "first city on the Rhine", via Chur to Davos and offers a spectacular mix of alpine landscape and cultural highlights.
Starting in Illanz, we follow the Rhine through the impressive Rhine Gorge, which is often referred to as the "Swiss Grand Canyon" because of its deep gorges and high rock faces.
After this breathtaking passage you reach Chur, the oldest city in Switzerland, where a short exploration of the historic old town is worthwhile.
From there the challenging part of the route begins: the climb through the Prättigau towards Davos. The steep serpentines and the alpine panorama offer a sporting challenge and fantastic views.
The tour ends in Davos, one of the most famous spa and winter sports resorts in Switzerland, surrounded by majestic peaks.
Day 2: Davos - Bormio
On the second day of the tour, one of the most demanding and scenically spectacular stages awaits you. You start in Davos and immediately begin the climb to the Flüela Pass (2,383 m). The serpentines and the alpine panorama quickly make you forget the effort, and at the top a breathtaking view of the surrounding peaks awaits you.
After a long descent, the route leads through the Engadin and towards Zernez, where the climb to the Ofen Pass (2,149 m) begins. The pass road winds through the national park, past larch forests and wild mountain landscapes.
After the Ofen Pass, you cycle through the Münstertal and reach Santa Maria, the starting point of the next climb: the Umbrail Pass (2,501 m), the highest road pass in Switzerland. The pass road offers spectacular views and finally leads into a descent to the Italian border. From here, we descend to Bormio, a famous spa town in Italy, known for its thermal baths.
This king stage is a true test for experienced road cyclists, with over 3,000 meters of elevation and three major passes - a dream tour for anyone who loves alpine challenges.
Day 3: Bormio - Bergün
The third day of the tour features another breathtaking high mountain stage that takes you from Bormio over several passes into Switzerland. We start with the climb to the Foscagno Pass (2,291 m), which takes you on a scenic route through the Italian Alps. Shortly afterwards, you reach the Eira Pass (2,209 m) and enjoy a rapid descent into the tax haven of Livigno, where you can take a break to recharge your batteries for the challenges ahead.
From Livigno you continue towards the Bernina Pass (2,328 m), one of the most famous passes in the region. Here you will be rewarded with magnificent views of the Morteratsch Glacier and the Bernina massif. After the long and sometimes steep descent through the Engadin, you reach La Punt, the starting point for the last big climb of the day: the Albula Pass (2,312 m). This scenic route offers you little traffic and a natural high mountain world.
After the top of the pass, a winding descent through the narrow Albula Valley to the charming mountain village of Bergün awaits you, known for its historic houses and the impressive Rhaetian Railway loop.
Day 4: Bergün - Campodolcino
On the fourth day of our epic Alpine ride, we head from Bergün over the Julier Pass and the Maloja Pass to Campodolcino - another challenging stage that takes us through impressive mountain landscapes.
We start with a flat warm-up phase through the Albula Valley before the climb to the Julier Pass (2,284 m) begins. The road winds through tight bends and wide, open high mountain valleys, with spectacular views of the surrounding peaks accompanying you. At the top of the pass, a barren but impressive alpine landscape awaits you.
After a long, fast descent, it's down to the Upper Engadine. Passing picturesque places like Silvaplana and Maloja, you cycle through one of the most beautiful high valleys and the Maloja Pass (1,812 m) in Switzerland.
The route then takes us across the border to Italy, where the last climb to Campodolcino awaits us.
Nestled in the mountains of the Italian Alps, Campodolcino offers a picturesque backdrop to the end of the tour.
Day 5: Campodolcino — Biasca
The penultimate stage takes us from Campodolcino over two impressive Alpine passes, the Splügen Pass and the San Bernardino, to the Ticino valley to Biasca.
Right at the start there is the challenging climb to the Splügen Pass (2,114 m). The pass road is spectacular: narrow serpentines, steep rock faces and always breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains. At the top of the pass you cross the border to Switzerland and begin a technical descent through the Tal the Hinterrhein, which requires full concentration and riding technique.
Once we arrive in Splügen, we relax a little before we start the next big climb: the San Bernardino Pass (2,065 m). This route takes us through alpine meadows, mountain lakes and wild nature, with a steady but easy climb. At the top of the pass, we enjoy the peace and quiet of the mountains before starting a long, flowing descent into the Misox Valley.
After this fast and scenic descent, we finally reach the Ticino Valley and follow the river to Biasca. Here, surrounded by the Mediterranean atmosphere of Ticino, the stage ends. The combination of two major passes and the impressive descent into Ticino makes this stage an unforgettable highlight of the tour.
Day 6: Biasca - Ilanz
On the last day of our tour, the route takes us from Biasca over the Lukmanier Pass back to Ilanz and forms a perfect end to our alpine cycling trip. We start in the warm, Mediterranean atmosphere of Ticino and begin the steady climb through the Val di Blenio towards the Lukmanier Pass. The route leads through quiet, green valleys, past traditional Ticino villages and ever further into the alpine mountain landscape.
The Lukmanier Pass (1,915 m) itself is less steep than some of the other passes, but offers impressive scenery with wide high alpine pastures, mountain lakes and unique flora. At the top of the pass we can enjoy the fresh mountain air and the view of the surrounding peaks.
The descent to Disentis is a long and relaxed route through the Rhine Valley, past lush meadows and typical Graubünden villages. After Disentis, we follow the young Rhine downstream through the Rhine Gorge - also known as the "Swiss Grand Canyon" - with its spectacular rock formations and steep gorges.
Our final destination is Ilanz again, the starting point of our tour. This last stage offers a harmonious mix of alpine passes, gentle descents and impressive nature - a worthy conclusion to our unforgettable crossing of the Alps on a racing bike.
