Etixx - Quick-Step has announced the selection that will participate in Tour de Suisse, a nine-stage, 1320.8km race from June 13th until the 21st of June. In the 2014 edition Tony Martin won both time trials, and wore the leader's jersey until the 9th and final stage before finishing 4th overall. Martin will not participate. He is racing the Critérium du Dauphiné, which ends on the 14th of June.
The 2015 edition of Tour de Suisse starts with a 5.4km prologue in Risch-Rotkreuz instead of a slightly longer individual time trial that featured in the 2014 edition. Also, instead of a road race to conclude Tour de Suisse, a 38.4km ITT in Bern is now on the final day. There are no flat stages of the race, only medium mountain stages. These stages are 2, 4, 6, 7, and the 8th stage on the 20th of june. Stage 2 is considered medium mountain, but features two Category 2, and two Category 1 climbs along the parcours. The final Category 1 climb is at the 148.4km mark, leaving slightly less than 13 miles of descending into the finish. Stage 4, 193.2km in total distance, includes three Category 3 ascents and a lone Category 2 climb at the 68.7km point. There is still some undulating sections all the way into the finale of the stage. The stages that give the greatest possibility for a sprint are 193.1km Stage 6, and the 164.6km 7th stage. Stage 6 is still up-and-down, but the lone Category 3 climb is at kilometer 98.4 of the stage. The final kilometers of the race are flat enough to leave the possibility of a group arrival. Stage 7 features four Category 3 climbs, and while the finale is absent of any categorized climbs, there is still a slight uphill kick at the finish. The 8th stage features a Category 3 summit at kilometer 50 of a 152.5km parcours, and is up-and-down from start to finish.
The key high mountain stages are 117.3km Stage 3, from Quinto to Olivone, and 237.3km Stage 5, from Unterterzen/Flumserberg to Sölden/Rettenbachgietscher. The 3rd stage starts off difficult. with the summit of HC Gotthard Pass taking place at the 18.8km point. There is then plenty of descending and flat roads until the road goes up again for a Category 2 climb at the 102.9km mark. There is another Category 3 climb at the 111.1km point of the race, but there is still ascending to be done until the finish line. Stage 5 may be the most decisive for the GC. There is HC Bielerhöhe, which summits at kilometer 109.6, and a very difficult HC summit finale.