The Tour of the Alps provides the perfect road to the Giro d'Italia and the fast final block of Liege-Bastogne-Liege, while the five-day race in the Euroregion of Northern Italy and Austria will again offer plenty of climbing and intense racing.

The Tour of the Alps takes place just two weeks before the Giro d'Italia opens in Budapest and closes on April 22.

Mikkel Landa (Bahrain Victorious), Hugh Carthy (EF-Education Easypost), Miguel Angel Lopez (Astana Kazakstan), Wilco Kelderman (Bora-Hansgrohe), Richie Porte, Tao Geoghegan Hart (Ineos Grenadier) will move to the crèche in the Merlinda apple orchard for the race start on April 14.

Race organizers have also confirmed the participation of Chris Froome (Israel Premier Tech), Pavel Sivakov (Ineos Grenadiers), Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) and Romain Bardet (Team DSM).

Ten WorldTour teams are confirmed to compete in this year's 45th edition of the race, with riders competing for the green leader's jersey. Recent winners include Simon Yates (2021), Sibakov (2019), Pinot (2018), and Geraint Thomas (2017).

The Tour of the Alps runs 728 km in the Trentino, Südtirol, and Tyrol regions of northern Italy and Austria. The opening stage descends from Cure and climbs toward the Dolomites, finishing in Primiero/San Martino di Castrozza. The second stage heads north to Lana via the snow-covered Passo Rolle and Passo della Mendola, while the third stage turns east and climbs Passo Furusia, finishing at Villa Bassa in Val Pusteria.

Stage 4 is the queen stage, a 12.5km climb in the shadow of Austria's highest peak, the Groveglockner. The Tour of the Alps concludes on April 18 with a short but intense mountain stage around Lienz. Race director Maurizio Evangelista is emphasizing long, intense and entertaining racing.

This year's Tour of the Alps closes on the fifth anniversary of the death of Michele Scarponi, who won a stage in that year's race. Scarponi was struck and killed by a car while training near his home. Scarponi's parents and brother will participate in the final stage of the Lienz to strengthen ties with the Michele Scarponi Foundation, which promotes road safety in Italy. Race organizers have enhanced their own safety strategy, with 30 bike marshals protecting riders and a new system of temporary protection that can be installed and removed before and after the race, as well as highlighting key points.