The queen stage of the 2013 Tour de Suisse, the seventh stage had a somewhat docile start to its itinerary. Except for a third-category climb of the Kerenzerberg Pass - with a maximum gradient of about 10% - after around of racing, the first half of the stage was predominantly flat before the mountainous second half of the route. After moving towards the Prättigau valley, the first-category Prättigaustrasse was the first to be tackled; a climb of two halves, with a steady start and then a 7% kick up to the summit. After a gradual descent from the climb, the next climb started almost immediately after, with the fourth-category Hauptstrasse, but this was the set-up for the final climb, the hors catégorie ascent of the Albula Pass, reaching over above sea level. After passing through the two intermediate sprints at Alvaneu and Bergün respectively, the climb had irregular gradients throughout; shallow to start with, portions of the climb averaged 10%. The descent was not too technical, despite a series of hairpin bends, but the closing metres were flat in La Punt.