"I did receive a request to pay a sum for Lance Armstrong..." - Tadej Pogacar is not at the Tour de Romandie for money, race director confirms

The Tour de Romandie will take up the spotlight this week in the world of cycling and at the start line, for the first time, is the World Champion Tadej Pogacar. The struggling Swiss race warmly welcomes the best in the world, who may help the event climb out of its recent financial issues.

Race director Richard Chassot told the story of how Pogacar's debut in the Swiss race came to be: “You have to know that I was a rider myself. I know Mauro Gianetti very well from that time. Mauro greatly appreciates the Tour of Romandie. Two or three years ago, he already said to me ‘you know Richard, one day Pogi will definitely come to the Tour of Romandie'," he shared in an interview with Wielerflits. "I didn’t know when, but he would certainly come at some point.”

UAE Team Emirates - XRG's manager eventually came around with the news that this race, which is not yet in Pogacar's palmarès, was in his schedule for 2026, following a spring where previously he would exclusively ride the key one-day races that he wanted to win.

“Last year in June, he said to me ‘I think there is a possibility for next year, he might change his program a little bit.’ And in December, a week before the announcement, Mauro called me. He said ‘listen, we are at training camp, we are finalizing the program, and we are definitely coming to your Tour de Romandie. You can announce it quickly from mid-December onwards, so that you can also work on the communication'.”

There was a lot of tension for the organizers of Romandie, hoping nothing would happen to the World Champion which would prevent him from taking to the start. “You know how cycling works. Due to the many crashes and illnesses, you always have to wait until the last moment to be sure that everyone is showing up. For the time being, things still look very good. But conversely, ‘last minute’ opportunities can also arise. Last year, we only found out very late that Remco Evenepoel would be riding in Romandie.”

This year only 15 teams are taking to the start, with four of them opting out of their presence in the race (due to a UCI rule that allows teams to skip 1 World Tour event) and only one wildcard having been attributed - to Tudor Pro Cycling Team. Hence it is a very small field, in a race that also currently has financial issues which may see it come to an end if a new big sponsor doesn't fill in the current budget gaps.

The possibility of paying a start fee for Tadej Pogacar was not possible, he answers directly. “Absolutely not. They never asked me for that, and besides, we don’t have the capacity for it either. A long time ago, I did receive a request to pay a sum for Lance Armstrong, but we refused," Chaussot reveals.

"With Pogacar, it was different: we were told that he wants to win and that they are even willing to help with our communication.”

He admits there is bias for the rainbow jersey, as he may actually be the race's salvation for the coming years. “If he wins, it will at least ensure extra visibility and perhaps also make our phones ring faster for sponsors. Riders like him generate widespread interest. They are even more special than previous generations of stars, including on social media and in the press.”

Chassot also sold the idea of the audiences filling in the French speaking part of Switzerland for the week, with the chance of seeing the world's best for the first time in the country for a long while.

“Regarding Pogacar, it is also interesting to note that we have large Slovenian communities in Switzerland. We have a large audience here who are eager to see and meet him. Because we are not the Tour de France, everything is a bit more accessible, although we naturally protect our riders. For people who want to see Pogacar up close on a climb or in a time trial, the Tour de Romandie is very suitable.”

He will battle alongside the likes of Oscar Onley, Lenny Martínez; and Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe duo Florian Lipowitz and Primoz Roglic. The latter could actually be a legitimate candidate against Pogacar in the starting prologue, specially taking into consideration how Pogacar is flying in from Liège-Bastogne-Liège - where he was the winner.

“They might fight it out in a duel, although they also have very strong domestiques in João Almeida (correction: Almeida is not at the race, ed.) and Florian Lipowitz respectively. I think UAE Emirates XRG and Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe will dominate and battle against each other. Supplemented by a few young climbers who have little to fear in the time trial kilometers, I hope for a great Tour. As far as the weather is concerned, everything is looking good so far".