PREVIEW | Tour of the Alps 2025 stage 5 - 11 seconds separating Arensman & Storer as GC goes down to the wire

From the 21st to the 25th of April the World Tour - and not only - peloton will tackle the single most important preparation race into the Giro d'Italia: The Tour of the Alps. Every year, it provides a lot of climbing opportunities for the men preparing for the first Grand Tour of the year and now is no exception. We preview stage 5.

The race finally ends in Austria, Lienz, with climbs that are not too unfamiliar to fans of cycling. There are four ascents on the day, all of which longer than 3 kilometers and steeper than 9%. There is nowhere to hide, they won't be overly long but every single climb is so steep that slipstreaming means little, and the gaps created could be huge.

The action should actually be saved to the last climb. Not because the first three are easier (they are not - they are 4.8Km at 9.2%; 3.8Km at 10%; 4.8Km at 9.2%) but lastly, the ascent to Stronach is over 3 kilometers at 12% and summits with a mere 9 kilometers to go which means that most should wait to attack there.

*** Michael Storer, Derek Gee
** Thymen Arensman, Felix Gall, Giulio Ciccone, Jai Hindley
* Paul Seixas, Romain Bardet, Paul Double, Jefferson Alexander Cepeda, Davide Piganzoli, Matthew Riccitello

Pick: Derek Gee