"I don’t mind if a few teams don’t show up, but right now it really is a lot": Organizer laments WorldTour teams skipping Romandie

With 79 editions, Tour de Romandie rightfully belongs among the most-respected races on men's WorldTour calendar. The Swiss stage race has its share of iconic champions since the innaugural edition of 1947, and with Tadej Pogacar as headline name this year, the race is well on the way to add another legend (in the making) to its roll of honour. And yet, there's an unsettling atmosphere surrounding this year's edition.

Why? It's a combination of factors. The race is dealing with financial difficulties, causing that the 2026 parcours have forcibly become rather minimalistic. Financial cuts have undeniably tied the hands of route designers and it shows - all five road stages feature a circuit, or at the very least circuit-like segments.

However the main blow had come from teams themselves. Out of 18 WorldTour teams, four have opted to use their right to skip one WorldTour race a season precisely for Tour de Romandie. That is why we can't look forward to seeing neither of Uno-X Mobility, Lotto-Intermarché, Decathlon CMA CGM and Alpecin-Premier Tech on Swiss roads next week.

"There are many races taking place on the different continents, so I do understand the teams to some extent," explains organizer Richard Chassot in an interview for WielerFlits. "The fact that teams like Uno-X Mobility and Lotto-Intermarché are not starting was no surprise. They are primarily oriented towards the classics. But Decathlon CMA CGM always arrived here with a lot of ambition. So I did go and ask them for an explanation."

And so, while the non-participation of Uno-X, Lotto and Alpecin did not come to Romandie organizers as much of a shock, the "pass" of Decathlon is still felt as a low blow. Unlike the other teams, Decathlon is a team with vast range of talented climbers and so, the organizers have hoped for the French team's participation, even if their leader would not have been Paul Seixas.

Chassot lists two explanations provided by the French team: "The first problem is that the Giro d'Italia starts in Hungary this year, barely five days after the end of our race. The logistical system, with all the team's equipment, is under a bit of pressure and does not allow for combining the two. The riders themselves also preferred to put their energy into the Giro d'Italia and that extra transfer."

"Secondly, the team said they couldn't bring Paul Seixas because he already has a busy schedule. The only segment of the team that was free during our tour was the sprinters, but we don't have any sprint stages. Philippe Chevallier (General Secretary at Decathlon CMA CGM, ed.) said: 'Richard, I assure you that this is not a decision against you. But it was really too difficult to put the puzzle together right now. We would rather come next year with the climbers' team to shape the race with a worthy selection.'"

All this has been made possible by UCI's change of rules for 2026 where all WorldTour teams are allowed to skip one WorldTour race - either one-day race or a stage race, except Monuments and Grand Tours - once a season. Chassot understands why the short straw fell into Romandie's lap, yet a bitter feeling remains.

"It is not easy for the teams. They have about thirty riders and race a lot. Of course, you could also say that those teams should prioritize the WorldTour races and simply not race too much otherwise. But then many traditional races would have to cease to exist. It is good that there are also smaller races for young people to gain experience, but they also need a few WorldTeams at the start to attract sufficient sponsors and media attention."

"And conversely: if a team only has sprinters and isn't really made for our terrain, I think it's a normal choice not to start. Climbing teams have little business in Paris-Roubaix either. However, it only becomes really annoying when – as is the case now – four teams choose to skip your race in the same year."

But there is a punchline; while the "no-race wildcard" resets every new season, teams may only choose to skip the same event once within the same three-year UCI cycle. That means all four absentees will be back in Romandie in 2027.

"New regulations always entail adjustments in the beginning. I don't see a problem for the future. Also because the teams that are dropping out now *must* start next year," Chassot winks.

Due to all these absences, a compact pack of just 15 teams will be at the start of 2026 Tour de Romandie. The 14 WorldTour teams will be joined by Tudor Pro Cycling. Why didn't the organizer fulfill the startlist with more ProTeams?

"Because we were a bit short on cash due to the loss of a very important sponsor," Chassot reacts. "We did invite Tudor, and honestly: if I had known three months ago that four teams would use their joker, I might have invited an extra team. Now it was too late, but we did try, mind you."

"Q36.5, a Swiss team, was supposed to come at first. But they had too many injured riders and problems with their roster. Douglas Ryder (team manager of Q36.5, ed.) called me and said: 'Listen, I am really incredibly sorry, it’s not going to work out this year Richard. It’s not a choice against you, but really, I don’t have enough riders. The Giro is coming up too.' He explained the situation to me, so I have no problem with him."

"It’s a mixed feeling. I don’t mind so much if a few teams don’t show up, but as I said, right now it really is a lot. In principle, for safety reasons, it’s not even that bad to have a peloton of 130 riders. There are a lot of crashes in the peloton these days and things are getting faster and faster. So I don’t necessarily need a peloton of 200 riders at the start. And you have to share the calendar a bit, that’s logical."