The Human Race office were blown away by the awe-inspiring scenery of the Swiss Alps from Stage 17 of this year’s Tour de France and it gave us a great insight into the fantastic cycling opportunities Switzerland has to offer. Perfect inspiration for our next cycling holiday!

Starting out from the medieval splendour of the Swiss capital, and UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Site, Bern, the riders on Stage 17 headed for the mountains at breakneck speed as a fierce battle to get into the day’s breakaway broke out.

Two category three ascents kicked-off the climbing, before the breakaway – with the peloton containing the race favourites in hot pursuit – raced across the Rhone Valley floor. The river’s rushing water provided an appropriate soundtrack as the riders surged past and the tension built ahead of the stage finale – the back to back climbs of Col de la Forclaz and Finhaut-Emosson with their spectacular views over the French border towards the white giant of Mont Blanc.

Out front, a three-way battle for the stage emerged on the steep slopes of the climb up the hydro-electric dam of Finhaut-Emosson. Ultimately, it was the Russian from Team Katusha, Ilnur Zakarin, who broke the spirits of his two rivals and took the stage.

The stage went a significant way to shaping the final result of the 2016 Tour de France, with eventual winner Chris Froome using the final climbs to take more time on his Colombian rival, Nairo Quintana and further distancing many of the other pretenders to his crown.

You can also enjoy the fantastic cycling Switzerland has to offer, both on the roads of the 2016 Tour de France stage and along the rest of the 1,600 miles of beautiful routes available.

Challenging Alpine passes, hairpin bends, high-speed downhill: Switzerland has magnificent routes to spur on riders at every level. The country’s cycling route network is made up of nine national and 123 regional routes using mostly small, perfectly surfaced roads with little traffic, so you can get away from the crowds of other popular European cycling destinations.

SWISS offer more than 170 direct weekly flights from London City, London Heathrow, Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh and Dublin to Zurich or Geneva, the ideal gateways to the best cycling routes.

Flights for you AND your bike start from just £71 each way, with bike transport included as part of your baggage allowance at no extra charge.