Tadej Pogacar (27) has etched his name into the Tour de Romandie history books for the first time, delivering a commanding performance from start to finish with four stage wins, including the final one on Sunday that ended atop the climb to Leysin.
The Slovenian rider has made an ideal transition between his classics campaign and preparations for the Tour de France, where he will aim for a fifth title in July.
On Sunday, the race came down to the final few hundred meters of the long ascent to Leysin (14.3 km at an average gradient of 5.9%). The overwhelming favorite waited before dropping German rider Florian Lipowitz, his direct rival in the general classification. Lipowitz launched several attacks before eventually succumbing to Pogacar, who finished 42 seconds ahead of the Red Bull rider.
Third place, two minutes and 44 seconds behind the winner, went to French rider Lenny Martinez, who finished second in the race last year. Martinez confirmed his strong early-season form (winner of stage eight of Paris-Nice), but also highlighted his limitations when faced with a series of long climbs.
This was the first stage race of the season for Tadej Pogacar, who has added two kilograms of muscle and worked on his explosive power to win three of the four classics already contested in 2026, only missing out in Paris-Roubaix (second behind Wout van Aert).
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Road cycling
Tour de Romandie
Tadej Pogacar