Starting from the center of Freiburg, the opening stage leads south through the Hexental valley along the base of the Schönberg ridge. After an easier stretch through the vineyards of the Markgräflerland, the route turns into a steady climb up the Hochblauen massif after passing Badenweiler. The summit at 937 meters provides wide views across the Rhine plain toward the Vosges Mountains. A technical descent follows through the wooded Kandertal valley down to Kandern. The final kilometers flatten out across the tri-border region near Weil am Rhein, crossing into Switzerland to finish alongside the Birs river in Reinach.
