Tour de Suisse

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The start of the 1946 Tour de Suisse on the Bahnhofquai in Zurich. This was the beginning of a golden decade for Swiss cycling.

1952, the seventh stage taking the riders from Locarno to Arosa. Swiss great Ferdi Kübler is leading the race at the foot of the San Bernardino Pass.

1947, a stage between Davos and Bellinzona: the legendary Italian rider Gino Bartali reaches the finish with a huge lead and wins the Tour.

1955, time trial: long-time Swiss rivals Ferdi Kübler (left) and Hugo Koblet. Both were national and international stars in their sport.

A mechanical failure can mean the difference between a victory or a loss, as Germany's Alfred Meyer found out in 1939.

A mechanical failure during a time-trial did not stop Belgium's Eddy Merckx, nicknamed the Cannibal, from winning the 1974 Tour.

2004, a stage from Frutigen to Linthal. Racers tackle the mighty Susten Pass.

Beat Breu, racing the way he liked best, climbing another mountain. He won the Tour twice in the the 1980s.

A stage between Meiringen and La Chaux-de-Fonds is a part of the Tour's legend. The weather was so bad that it was eventually stopped.

The sprint for a stage win in Lucerne, 2007.

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A legendary cycling race at 75.

The biggest sporting event of the year in Switzerland is usually the world’s fourth largest cycling tour, the Tour de Suisse. It is also a part of the country’s cultural heritage. A picture book, “Tour de Suisse – 75 Jahre, 1933-2008” took a look back at the race over the years. (All pictures: Ringier Dokumentation Bild)