Slovenia's premier cycling race is gearing up for an earlier start this year, with the 799-km challenge set to take place between 4 and 8 June in five stages. The nation's biggest cycling stars, Tadej Pogačar and Primož Roglič, will be absent but there will be five WorldTour teams.

The 31st Tour of Slovenia, which Pogačar and Roglič each won twice in the past, will launch from the historic seaside town of Piran. The first stage will finish after 168.7 km in Škofljica, near Ljubljana, where a flat profile should deliver a classic sprint finish.

The 157.8 km-long stage two will depart from Velenje in the mid-northeast and end in the spa town of Rogaška Slatina in the east, likely again with a sprinter-friendly finish.

The third stage, stretching 173.4 km from Majšperk to Ormož in the northeast, will be a bit more challenging over the final 27 km, but the highlight of the tour will come in the penultimate stage.

Regarded as the race's crown jewel, the potentially decisive 175.2 km stage four will start in Maribor, Slovenia's second-largest city, and take the riders towards the Golte plateau, where they will face a punishing 13.8 km ascent at an average climb of 7.4%.

The final leg will begin in Litija in central Slovenia and conclude in Novo Mesto in the southeast. A short, steep climb on Trška Gora to the finish line - 1.7 km at 10.5% - could provide drama for a final decision in case gaps remain close at Golte.

Last year's overall victory went to Italian rider Giovanni Aleotti, while Slovenian cyclists were not among the top finishers.

This edition will see five WorldTour teams - including UAE Team Emirates-XRG, Lidl-Trek, and others - join local squads such as Adria Mobil and Factor Racing.

Pogačar, the world's no. 1 cyclist, who won the Tour of Slovenia in 2021 and in 2022, will be absent, having chosen the Criterium du Dauphine race as preparation for the Tour de France. Roglič, the race's winner in 2015 and 2018, will also focus solely on preparing for the Tour de France after having another go at the Giro d'Italia in March.