DISCUSSION | Tour de Romandie stage 2 - Did INEOS mess up? Overconfidence? A lack of ambition in the peloton?

Tadej Pogacar continued his commanding start to the Tour de Romandie by powering to a second consecutive stage victory, proving once again that even on terrain without major climbs, he remains the man to beat. The world champion outsprinted a reduced group of around 30 riders in Vucherens, comfortably beating Dorian Godon and Finn Fisher-Black at the end of a relentlessly undulating day.

Stage two, running from Rue to Vucherens over 173 kilometres, was far from straightforward. While the route lacked high mountain passes, the constant up and down profile gradually wore down the peloton. Central to the stage was the repeated ascent of the climb to Vuillens, tackled three times, with the final passage cresting just two kilometres from the finish line, setting up an explosive finale.

Wearing the leader’s jersey, Tadej Pogacar saw his team allow an early breakaway to go clear. Jakob Soderqvist, Henri-François Renard-Haquin, Roland Thalmann and Italian champion Filippo Conca built a modest advantage, but never gained more than two and a half minutes. The peloton, driven largely by UAE Team Emirates - XRG and INEOS Grenadiers, kept the move firmly under control.

INEOS in particular committed significant resources, clearly backing stage ambitions with Dorian Godon, who had already impressed earlier in the week. As the race approached its decisive phase, the breakaway began to fragment, with Soderqvist emerging as the last survivor heading into the final climb.

Behind him, the pace intensified sharply. Primoz Roglic briefly took control at the front before the accelerations began to fly. Jefferson Alveiro Cepeda launched a sharp attack, immediately drawing a response from Pogacar. The Slovenian’s reaction not only shut down the move but also ensured the end of Soderqvist’s brave effort.

A select group formed over the top, numbering roughly thirty riders, but the attacks kept coming. Cepeda tried again, followed by moves from Yannis Voisard and Florian Lipowitz, yet each acceleration was met with the same outcome: Pogacar calmly closing the gap. The race had been reduced to a tactical standoff, with no one able to gain separation before the run-in to the line.

As the road flattened slightly towards the finish, the stage inevitably came down to a sprint. Godon launched early, carrying strong momentum after surviving the climbs, and briefly looked like he might take the win. But from behind came the unmistakable surge of Tadej Pogacar, who timed his effort perfectly to sweep past the Frenchman and secure victory with authority.

Finn Fisher-Black completed the podium, but the spotlight once again belonged to Pogacar. With bonus seconds added to his tally, he extended his overall lead and further cemented his status as the rider to beat in this year’s race.

On a stage designed to test consistency rather than pure climbing strength, Pogacar delivered both control and finishing speed, a combination that continues to set him apart from his rivals in Romandie.

Tadej Pogacar took the stage. Where’s the surprise? I wasn’t surprised at all. He was simply the strongest, full stop. But let’s call things as they are.

On the most accessible stage of the race, only four teams sent a rider up the road. A lack of ambition? Absolutely, especially considering the legs are still fresh, with this being just the second road stage of the race. The breakaway never gained real breathing room, mainly because both INEOS Grenadiers and UAE Team Emirates - XRG committed riders to the chase and kept things under control.

As the decisive phase approached, the British squad upped the pace massively, sensing that Dorian Godon had the legs to fight for the win. A tailwind on the final climb only made things faster, encouraging attacks and counterattacks… against the world champion, on his preferred terrain. By now, it should be obvious that this is not how you crack Tadej Pogacar.

Jefferson Cepeda tried more than once, Florian Lipowitz hinted at a move, even Primoz Roglic rolled to the front. And Tadej Pogacar? Calm, composed, almost indifferent. He answered every acceleration seated, as if to say, “I don’t really know why you’re guys even trying.”

The pace was relentless, and that likely cost the INEOS sprinter some crucial energy. Godon launched his sprint early, but Pogacar came past him like a plane. In the end, the Slovenian flipped the script and beat him at his own game.

INEOS paid a high price for overconfidence in their sprinter. A lesson learned, the hard way.

You can tell that we're at the end of the spring because the riders' form is rather odd for a few riders at this time of the season. A few riders maintain their high focus whilst others do not have the edge anymore, but it's not something that leads to much effect on the results sheet because you've got a Tadej Pogacar at the start.

I do feel for INEOS who knew they had the responsibility today. Went all-out to give Dorian Godon a chance to take the victory in a sprint, the Frenchman struggled on the climb due to the attacks but Tadej Pogacar did exactly what Godon needed and controlled every single attack, and then he made it to the front at the perfect moment.

The Frenchman had it all however then he was beaten by Pogacar himself, who could always win this stage in a sprint - although I thought he would want to do it with an attack. With INEOS burned and BORA setting a very high pace at the start of the final climb, Pogacar had the perfect opportunity to attack and win solo.

But once again he did not, which is odd I must say, but in the end it didn't make a difference. Instead of attacking he turned to counter-attacking every move, which is not a logic decision, and does raise questions. UAE once again had no support for him late into the race, and he did it all by himself in the final kilometers.

On the other side of the equation were BORA, who worked for a sprint with Finn Fisher-Black, a strategy that did work however Godon survived and Pogacar has the 'infinity glitch' which ultimately takes away opportunities for riders such as him. It was good seeing Primoz Roglic work for his teammates today, however it was odd to see him lose 2 minutes at the end, a purposeful decision since he showed yesterday he has the form.

I guess there could be several explanations but since he did put in the effort both yesterday and today, it's not like he will be fresher or will be given freedom to join a breakaway because of it.

Second road stage in Switzerland’s Romandie region. This time, the peloton eased off slightly on a day where the breakaway took longer than expected to form. The leading quartet honoured the stage, but Linus Soderqvist was undoubtedly the most combative rider before the final climb to Vuillens.

This punchy ascent, strategically placed at the end of the stage in a circuit reminiscent of a World Championship course, really packed a sting, who knows, maybe Tadej Pogacar was even doing a bit of reconnaissance.

If yesterday we said that the only rival Pogacar truly faces is cycling itself and its history, today the already legendary rider seemed determined to keep raising the bar. This time against Dorian Godon, a proven specialist in this kind of finish. It didn’t matter, the UAE rider shut him down and then outkicked him with a sprinter’s burst.

Pogacar came to the Tour de Romandie as preparation for bigger targets, namely his pursuit of a fifth Tour de France title, but his racing style remains unchanged, aggressive, relentless, always on the front foot.

Another masterclass today, this time against a faster rival, on terrain that suited his opponent. When Pogacar races, cycling wins. And when Pogacar wins, another golden line is written into the legacy he will one day leave behind.