Pogačar annihilates the field on Tour de Suisse opener with a 70-kilometre solo ride

The raid

Tadej Pogačar delivered a statement performance on the opening stage of the 89th Tour de Suisse, attacking alone on the Col de Triangia and riding the remaining 72 kilometres solo to win in Sondrio. The 144-kilometre loop course through the Italian Alps was designed for puncheurs, with four short but steep climbs reaching gradients of 12 percent. Pogačar countered an earlier move by Norwegian Fredrik Dversnes, then shed his own teammate Brandon McNulty on the slopes toward Triangia. His winning time was 3 hours 28 minutes 51 seconds.

I wanted to test myself and get a hard day in the legs before July.

The Slovene, wearing the world champion's rainbow jersey, is riding the Tour de Suisse for the first time in his career. The win brings his 2026 tally to ten victories in twelve race days, following a four-stage sweep at the Tour de Romandie in late April. He has not finished outside the top six in any race this season.

The chasers

Richard Carapaz was the only rider to mount a meaningful response. The Ecuadorian shed the main group roughly 50 kilometres from the finish and rode alone in second place for the remainder of the stage, crossing the line 2 minutes 14 seconds behind Pogačar. Italian Andrea Bagioli took third at 2 minutes 39 seconds.

The rest of the pre-race favourites lost contact early and never recovered. Ilan Van Wilder, Mathias Vacek, and Brandon McNulty all crossed together at 4 minutes 16 seconds. Primoz Roglic, Lenny Martinez, and Matthew Riccitello lost more than four minutes and sit outside the top 10. Mathieu Van der Poel, returning to competition for the first time since Paris-Roubaix, was dropped 63 kilometres from the finish and did not feature in the finale.

Tour de France rehearsal

The performance confirms Pogačar's readiness for the Tour de France, which starts on 4 July in Barcelona. The stage was raced in hot conditions similar to those expected in July, and the Slovenian pushed hard on the final climb six kilometres from the line, treating the closing kilometres as a test of his endurance. He is chasing a fifth Tour de France victory and has now won the Tour de Romandie and the opening stage of the Tour de Suisse in the space of six weeks.

What comes next

The Tour de Suisse, shortened this year from eight days to five to secure the race's financial future, continues Thursday with a 157.7-kilometre circuit around Locarno featuring Monte Ceneri and two sharp climbs to Fanghi and Orselina inside the final 15 kilometres. Saturday brings a flat 23.7-kilometre individual time trial before Sunday's queen stage to Villars-sur-Ollon, with 4,200 metres of vertical gain packed into 150 kilometres and three ascents of the Col de la Croix. Pogačar leads Carapaz by 2 minutes 14 seconds and holds a cushion approaching three minutes over the rest of the field.