In confirming their entries, World Champion Peter Sagan (Tinkoff) and three-time overall winner Rui Costa (Lampre-Merida) maintain their opportunity to get their names in the history books at the jubilee edition of the Tour de Suisse.

Other confirmed entries include Roman Kreuziger (Tinkoff), overall winner in 2008, and Andrew Talansky (Cannondale), overall winner of the Critérium du Dauphiné in 2014. From a Swiss perspective, Fabian Cancellara (Trek-Segafredo), overall winner in 2009, and Mathias Frank (IAM Cycling), overall second in 2014, are two strong locals who will be on the starting line. Thanks to its collaboration with "Velon", Tour organiser InfrontRingier has for the first time received early entry confirmations from individual riders. Other names are to follow soon.

The prospect of securing the unchallenged top spot among the stage winners at the 80th edition of the Tour de Suisse seems within reach for Peter Sagan (Tinkoff). With eleven stage wins, the reigning World Champion is still on a par with the two Swiss cycling legends Hugo Koblet and Ferdy Kübler.

Following his three overall victories in a row (2012-2014), Rui Costa (Lampre-Merida) missed out on last year's Tour de Suisse. In 2016 he now has the opportunity to become the only rider to win the Tour de Suisse four times within five years. However, Swiss rider Mathias Frank (IAM Cycling) will be doing his utmost to impede Rui Costa's pursuit of the record. Frank also did not compete in last year's Tour de Suisse after coming in overall second in 2014. For 2016, however, Mathias Frank's target is nothing less than the Tour win. But for the anniversary edition the Cannondale Pro Cycling Team also includes a challenger for victory in the overall rankings, in the person of US rider Andrew Talansky, winner of the Critérium du Dauphiné in 2014.

The extremely demanding anniversary Tour over 1,220 kilometres, including climbs totalling 19,622 metres and 16 KOMs will be a challenge for every rider. In the next few weeks InfrontRingier will announce which other top riders will be competing in the 2016 Tour de Suisse. Yesterday Nairo Quintana mentioned the possibility of doing the Siss race.