Villars Cycling Club × Grand Tours Project × Villars Palace
Tour de Suisse
Challenge
01 September — 31 October 2026
Two months. Four winners. Plus Le Coup de Chance. Ride the roads the pros raced.
Start from Villars Palace, ride the designated loop raced during the final stage of the 2026 Tour de Suisse, record your effort on Strava, and set your fastest time. The competition resets each month, giving every rider two opportunities to win.
Begin and end your ride at the Villars Palace entrance. The route follows the Tour de Suisse final stage loop.
Complete the full designated route. The official Strava segment is live: Tour de Suisse Final Stage Loop.
Upload your activity publicly on Strava. It must be set to public for it to count. Road bike only, no e-bikes.
Attempt the loop as many times as you like. Only your best time counts each month. No registration required.
50.6 km · 1,427 m elevation gain · Start and finish at Villars Palace
Leave Villars Palace and climb to Col de la Croix. The first major ascent of the loop, where the peloton split during the 2026 Tour de Suisse.
Fast descent from the col through Les Diablerets. Technical corners and long open straights. Save your legs here.
Continue down to Aigle in the valley at 395 m, the lowest point of the loop. The return climb starts here.
The final climb. From Aigle through Ollon and back up to Villars. Over 1,000 m in one sustained effort. This is where times are made.
Important
You must follow the exact route to appear on the official Strava segment. Download the GPX and follow it precisely. Activities that deviate from the segment path will not register.
A premium 3-day, 2-night cycling experience with Grand Tours Project, combining guided alpine riding with the comfort and recovery of Villars Palace.
Fastest male rider across the full month of September.
Fastest female rider across the full month of September.
Fastest male rider across October. Competition resets from September.
Fastest female rider across October. Competition resets from September.
Winners announced at the start of the following month. In the event of a tied time, the earliest recorded activity wins. Prize dates: 20 to 22 August 2027.
At the end of October, one male and one female participant will be selected for Le Coup de Chance, our end-of-challenge prize draw.
This is not a random lottery. The more you talk about the challenge, the more you share your rides, your times, your experience on social media, the more visible you become to us. We are watching, and the most creative, the most vocal, the most committed participants have the best chance of being picked.
Post about your ride. Tag us. Share your times. Tell your club. Make noise. That is how you win Le Coup de Chance.
End of October 2026
One male and one female participant selected. Prize: the same exclusive alpine cycling weekend as the monthly winners. View the package at Villars Palace. Dates: 20 to 22 August 2027.
@villarscyclingclub · @grandtoursproject · @villarspalace · #VillarsTdSChallenge
Prefer to take on the challenge together? Teams of 3 or more riders can also participate.
Each rider completes the loop and uploads their ride publicly on Strava, mentioning the same team name in the activity description. We calculate your team average time so you can compare against other crews.
The two monthly prizes remain awarded to the fastest individual riders. Team participation is for the competition and the glory.
Do I need to register?
No. There is no registration. Just ride the loop, upload your activity publicly on Strava, and your time will appear on the segment leaderboard automatically.
What bikes are eligible?
Road bikes only. E-bikes are not eligible. Your Strava activity type must be set to Ride or Gravel Ride.
Does my activity need to be public?
Yes. Your Strava activity must be set to public for it to register on the segment leaderboard and be counted in the challenge.
How do I make sure my ride counts?
Download the GPX file and follow the route exactly. Your ride must match the official segment path from start to finish. Activities that deviate will not register on the leaderboard. Download the GPX here.
How are winners selected?
The fastest male and the fastest female time on the Strava segment each month win. The competition resets on 1 October. In the event of a tied time, the earliest recorded activity wins. Winners are announced at the start of the following month.
When are winners announced?
Winners are announced at the start of the following month. September winner announced 1 October. October winner announced 1 November. Winners are contacted directly.
Can I attempt the loop more than once?
Yes. You can ride the loop as many times as you like during each month. Only your best time counts.
My time is not showing on the segment. What do I do?
Strava segment matching can occasionally miss an activity. If your time does not appear, share your Strava activity link with us at info@villars.cc and we will manually add your time to the ranking.
Any other questions?
Contact us at info@villars.cc
All challenge participants receive 20% off accommodation at Villars Palace throughout the full challenge period. Turn your attempt into a proper Alpine cycling escape.
The booking link applies the promo code automatically. No manual entry required.
Staying at Villars Palace during the challenge? A live ranking screen at the Palace lets you follow the current leaderboard in real time.