The prologue course that cross-country world champion Nino Schurter and the 150 or so professional cyclists will be tackling in Ascona is just 5.57 kilometers long. After the start at 14.43 on the Strada della Bouna Mano, Schurter will reach the finish on the Piazza Giuseppe Motta after a good seven minutes. "I'm already a bit nervous, but I'm looking forward to the adventure," Schurter told Ride.

Schurter is not the only rider in the peleton of off-road experiences, however. With Jean Christophe Peraud (FRA), Fredrik Kessiakoff (SWE), Jakob Fuglsang (DEN), Yuri Trofimov (RUS) and Alexis Vuillermoz (FRA), there are five riders at the start of the Tour de Romandie who used to be successful mountain bikers and in some cases have converted to road cycling just as successfully.

There are no major difficulties, such as cornering on cobblestones, on the small loop around Ascona airport. However, the biggest challenge will be some 90-degree bends, which the riders will have to approach at high speeds and gain as much momentum as possible.

The day after the short and intensive "roll-in", the first stage over 200 kilometers awaits Schurter. After the start in Ascona, the bunch will roll via Centovalli to Domodossola in Italy, from where they will head over the Simplon Pass to Brig. From there, the athletes face a long flat section to Sion, before an additional loop via Lens to the finish in Sion. There will be direct television coverage from around 15:50 when the riders pass Sion for the first time.

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