The Tour de Suisse Women 2026 continues on Thursday, 18th June, with a second stage around Locarno that should again favour riders who can handle punchy terrain, late climbs and a reduced-group finish. Stage 2 starts and finishes in the lakeside Swiss town, covering 105.3km with 1,242m of climbing, and comes after a selective opening day in Sondrio won by Femke de Vries.
UK viewers should again treat this as a morning stage. The race starts at 08:20 BST, while live coverage is expected from 09:00 BST. The stage is scheduled to finish at around 11:15 BST, with the broadcast window running until around 11:45 BST.
Stage 2 is not as hard as the Sondrio opener on paper, but it is still awkward. The first part should be more manageable, with flatter roads before the race reaches the Val di Blenio, but the finale changes the character of the day. Fanghi and Orselina both come in the final 15km, giving attackers, puncheurs and alert GC riders a clear opportunity to shape the result before the run-in back to Locarno.
For wider race context, see our Tour de Suisse Women 2026 full route guide, the full start list for Tour de Suisse Women 2026, our Tour de Suisse Women 2026 contenders preview and our Tour de Suisse Women 2026 stage 2 preview.
What time does Tour de Suisse Women 2026 stage 2 start?
Tour de Suisse Women 2026 stage 2 starts at 08:20 BST on Thursday, 18th June.
The stage begins and ends in Locarno, with the riders taking on 105.3km around the Lago Maggiore region. The expected finish is around 11:15 BST, although that can shift slightly depending on the pace of the peloton, the breakaway situation and how aggressively the final climbs are raced.
Live coverage is expected to begin at 09:00 BST, meaning UK viewers should join the stage once the opening phase is already underway. The most important action should still come later, with the decisive climbs packed into the final 15km.
Tour de Suisse Women 2026 stage 2 timings in the UK
Stage 2 date: Thursday, 18th June
Route: Locarno to Locarno
Distance: 105.3km
Elevation: 1,242m
Stage type: Hilly
Race start: 08:20 BST
Live coverage starts: 09:00 BST
Expected finish: around 11:15 BST
Broadcast scheduled until: around 11:45 BST
The key viewing window should be from around 10:15 BST onwards. That should take the race into the approach to Fanghi and Orselina, where the stage is most likely to split.
How to watch Tour de Suisse Women 2026 stage 2 in the UK
UK viewers should be able to watch Tour de Suisse Women 2026 stage 2 through Warner Bros. Discovery’s cycling coverage, with HBO Max expected to be the main streaming route and TNT Sports the main television option where schedules allow.
The official Tour de Suisse broadcaster list names Eurosport for the United Kingdom, which now sits inside the wider WBD/TNT Sports/HBO Max setup rather than the old standalone Eurosport Player route. Viewers should check the live cycling section of HBO Max, TNT Sports listings and Eurosport-branded schedules before the stage begins.
The race is not expected to be free-to-air in the UK. Clips, highlights and post-stage videos may appear later, but live coverage should be treated as a paid broadcast option.
For more information on the broadcast picture across the week, see our how to watch Tour de Suisse Women 2026 in the UK guide and our women’s cycling TV guide hub.
Is Tour de Suisse Women 2026 stage 2 free to watch in the UK?
Tour de Suisse Women 2026 stage 2 is not expected to be free-to-air in the UK.
The UK broadcast route is through Eurosport/WBD coverage, so live access should come through HBO Max and TNT Sports rather than a free public stream. Viewers outside the UK may have different options depending on local rights, with Swiss coverage scheduled through the host broadcaster window.
What happened on stage 1?
Femke de Vries won stage 1 in Sondrio after a strong ride from the breakaway, beating Lauren Dickson in a two-up sprint. Cédrine Kerbaol finished third, making an immediate mark for EF Education-Oatly and underlining that the opening day was more than a simple controlled GC stage.
That result changes the tone for stage 2. Team Visma | Lease a Bike now have the race lead through De Vries, while several of the bigger GC names still need to decide how much energy they are willing to spend before the time-trial and final mountain stage. The Sondrio opener showed that this race can reward alert, aggressive racing rather than only the obvious favourites.
Stage 2 gives a similar opportunity. The route is not mountainous enough to guarantee a pure GC battle, but it has enough late climbing to make a passive finish unlikely if the strongest teams want to race.
What is the Tour de Suisse Women 2026 stage 2 route?
Stage 2 starts and finishes in Locarno, covering 105.3km with 1,242m of climbing. It is officially listed as a hilly stage, but the climbing is concentrated in a way that should make the final part of the day much more important than the early kilometres.
The first section is significantly easier than the equivalent men’s route, with the women’s race avoiding Monte Ceneri. That should make the opening part more manageable, with flatter roads before the race reaches the Val di Blenio. Sprinters and less climb-resistant riders should be able to survive that part if the pace remains controlled.
The stage becomes more selective on the return towards Locarno. Fanghi and Orselina come in the final 15km, and both climbs are short enough to invite hard accelerations rather than steady tempo. Fanghi is the longer test, while Orselina is shorter and steeper, making it the most obvious launchpad before the run-in to the finish.
The final kilometres after the climbs give the stage its tactical balance. A small group can go clear and hold on if the right riders are present, but a chasing group can still come back if the front lacks cooperation. That should make the finale tense rather than straightforward.
Why stage 2 matters
Stage 2 is not the obvious GC day of the Tour de Suisse Women 2026, but it still matters because the race is only five days long. There is not much time to recover from a missed split, a poor position or a badly timed chase.
The biggest classification checkpoints still lie ahead. Stage 4 brings the 23.8km time-trial in Aarburg, where Marlen Reusser should have a major opportunity. Stage 5 then finishes with the mountain stage around Villars-sur-Ollon, giving the climbers and aggressive GC riders their clearest chance to attack the race.
Locarno sits between those bigger days, but it can still shape the week. If the final climbs create a small group, bonus seconds and small gaps could change the race before the time-trial. If a strong breakaway goes clear, the GC teams may need to decide whether protecting energy is more important than keeping the stage controlled.
For De Vries and Team Visma | Lease a Bike, stage 2 is also about defending the race lead. For riders such as Reusser, Elisa Longo Borghini, Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney, Kim Le Court, Liane Lippert and Cédrine Kerbaol, it is about staying in the right position and being ready if the race opens.
Which riders should viewers watch?
Femke de Vries starts stage 2 with the momentum from her stage 1 victory. Defending the yellow jersey on a punchy Locarno stage will not be simple, but she has already shown that the race can reward riders willing to take opportunities before the biggest GC days.
Marlen Reusser remains the main overall favourite because the route still points strongly towards the Aarburg time-trial. Stage 2 is not necessarily her best day to attack, but she cannot afford to lose time or get caught behind a split before her clearest opportunity arrives.
Liane Lippert may be Movistar’s more natural stage-winning option. The late climbs suit her punch, and the finish could work well if the front group is reduced but still comes back together. Movistar can protect Reusser while using Lippert to apply pressure.
Elisa Longo Borghini is another major threat if the stage becomes attritional. She can climb, read a finale and turn awkward terrain into pressure. UAE Team ADQ also have enough depth to keep her positioned before Fanghi and Orselina.
Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney should be watched because she has every reason to race aggressively before the time-trial. The late climbs are exactly the kind of terrain where she can test the group without needing a full mountain stage.
Kim Le Court is one of the best reduced-group options if the climbs remove sprinters but leave a front selection. AG Insurance-Soudal also have Justine Ghekiere and Urška Žigart if the stage becomes harder and more GC-focused.
Cédrine Kerbaol already looked sharp on stage 1 and has the profile to matter again. The Locarno finale suits riders who can climb, descend and position well, and Kerbaol should be one of the riders EF Education-Oatly look to if the race becomes selective.
Julie De Wilde, Yara Kastelijn, Ricarda Bauernfeind, Riejanne Markus, Thalita de Jong, Marta Jaskulska, Sarah Van Dam, Nadia Gontova and Linda Zanetti are also worth watching if the stage becomes more open or if the bigger teams hesitate.
When is the best time to watch stage 2?
Live coverage is expected from 09:00 BST, but the most important part of the stage should come later.
The opening phase should be about breakaway formation and control. Because the first part is flatter, the race may remain more stable than stage 1 for longer. The decisive period should begin as the peloton turns back towards Locarno and approaches the final two climbs.
The best viewing window should be from around 10:15 BST to the finish. That should cover the approach to Fanghi, the Orselina climb, the descent, the final chase and the fight for the stage win.
What could happen tactically?
The most likely scenario is an early breakaway, followed by controlled pressure from the teams with stage-winning ambitions. Team Visma | Lease a Bike will have to decide how much work to do in defence of the yellow jersey, while Movistar, UAE Team ADQ, Canyon SRAM, AG Insurance-Soudal, Lidl-Trek and EF Education-Oatly all have riders who can benefit from a selective final.
The final climbs should decide whether this becomes a reduced sprint or a small attacking group. If Fanghi is ridden hard, the peloton could already be thinned before Orselina. If the pace is steadier, Orselina becomes the obvious launchpad.
The run-in back to Locarno means cooperation will be crucial. A small group with the right mix of riders could stay away, but if the strongest names begin watching each other, the chase may come back together for a sprint from a reduced front group.
The GC riders do not need to win stage 2, but they cannot be careless. A badly timed position before the final climbs could cost time, while bonus seconds may tempt riders who expect the overall battle to be tight after the time-trial.
Tour de Suisse Women 2026 stage 2 summary
Tour de Suisse Women 2026 stage 2 takes place on Thursday, 18th June, with a 105.3km hilly route around Locarno. The race starts at 08:20 BST, live coverage is expected from 09:00 BST, and the finish should come at around 11:15 BST.
UK viewers should look to HBO Max, TNT Sports and Eurosport-branded listings for live coverage. The race is not expected to be free-to-air in the UK.
The stage should be more manageable early than the Sondrio opener, but Fanghi and Orselina give the final 15km real bite. A full bunch sprint looks unlikely if the late climbs are raced hard, while a reduced-group finish or late attack feels more realistic. De Vries begins the day in yellow, but Locarno gives the puncheurs, aggressive all-rounders and alert GC riders another chance to shape the race before the time-trial and final mountain stage.
