Apart from the initial ramp, which takes the race through the centre of Reith, the first 30 kilometres are on straight and flat roads. Afterwards, the riders leave the bottom of the valley to tackle a long ascent which, switching between challenging segments, false-flats and even short descents, leads to Lans, at the feet of the Innsbruck Olympic Mountains. After passing the village of Patsch, the route follows the 'former' Brenner/Brennero road, featuring a rather winding course with repeated ups and downs and very few straight stretches.

Riders then return to the main road to cross the Brenner Pass/Passo del Brennero and enter into Italian territory. Next comes a 45-kilometre segment on a wide, smooth road, with a steep downhill first and a gentler one later, to join Brixen/Bressanone. A first short climb leads to Feldthurns/Velturno, but it will be the ascent of Barbian/Barbiano that will ignite the race, 18 km from the finish. The road narrows and the gradients increase, until the last KOM located less than 4 km from the finish in Ritten/Renon, reached after a few more ups and downs. The finish is located inside the Ritten Arena, a rink that is used for speed skating competitions in winter.