The Tour de Suisse Men & Women invites the public to explore the Host Cities of this year’s Tour in the slipstream of the Pros with the launch of the “Tour de Suisse Explorer”. From April until the end of September anyone can discover the Host Cities and their surroundings in their favourite way and earn rewards. The “TdS Explorer” is not a competition – it is about inspiring people with ideas for excursions and a range of activities. Participation is free.
The “TdS Explorer” brings the traditional Swiss cycling tour to life for everyone – amateur athletes, families, pensioners or people with disabilities. The focus is on the personal experience. Participants pass through Host Cities (by road bike, race bike, on foot, e-bike, mountain bike, scooter, tandem…) visiting various Checkpoints. Registration and a personal fitness tracker or free Strava account are required to take part.
How the “TdS Explorer” works
All participants must first register for free on the Homepage of “TdS Explorer”. The website includes an overview map with all the Host Cities / Checkpoints. Every participant can decide where their personal Tour de Suisse begins.
The Explorer homepage lists various tourist highlights in the region of each Checkpoint. There are also several route suggestions for circular cycle tours for each Host City. Participants can decide whether they want to simply visit the Checkpoint of the Host City or if they want to combine the visit with a tour through the region.
The Checkpoints of the Tour 2025 are in the regions of: Gstaad, Bellinzona, La Punt, Chur, Küssnacht, Beckenried, Emmetten, Lucerne, Aarau, Schaffhausen, Münchenstein.
How to earn rewards
Every person who visits at least one Checkpoint and records this on a fitness tracker receives their first reward. Further rewards are earned after three, six and ten Checkpoints.
Visitors attending this year’s Tour de Suisse Women & Men who come by bike or foot, between June 12th and 21st 2025, will receive a free Bonus Checkpoint credit.
The idea behind the Explorer
There are several motives behind the launch of the “TdS Explorer”. One is that the Tour de Suisse is traditionally a people’s event. In no other sport can spectators get so close to the athletes. Professional road cycling doesn’t require stadiums or tickets – public roads are the stadiums, the roadside is the grandstand. “The Tour de Suisse is a sporting event for the people, with the people – that’s why the Explorer is a great fit for our event,” says Director Olivier Senn. The “TdS Explorer” is an accessible way for the public to experience the Tour de Suisse for themselves. The Explorer also offers tips for an active weekend on the bike in the great outdoors – before, during or after the event.
In addition, the TdS Explorer is an initiative to encourage people to come to the race by bike or foot. Motorized private transport is generally known to be one of the biggest contributing factors to the environmental impact of major sporting events. The Tour de Suisse has a sustainability strategy. It is committed to reducing its emissions by 50 percent within five years and aims to achieve net zero within a decade. The “TdS Explorer” is part of this strategy.
