"I arriving at the Tour de Suisse feeling strong" - Tadej Pogacar sends ominous warning to rivals ahead of return

Tadej Pogacar will pin on a number again this week to lead UAE Team Emirates XRG at the Tour de Suisse, one of the few one-week stage races still missing from the world champion’s formidable palmarès. The Swiss race also carries special meaning for the Emirati squad, winner of the last two editions thanks to Adam Yates and Joao Almeida.

The Slovenian will tackle the Tour de Suisse for the first time after a solid altitude training block in Sierra Nevada and his recent victory at the Tour de Romandie. His goal is to keep expanding a haul that already includes five of the seven most prestigious one-week stage races on the international calendar.

Pogacar expressed satisfaction with the work done in recent weeks and highlighted the strong atmosphere within the team. The UAE Team Emirates XRG leader finds it especially motivating to debut in a race with such tradition as the Tour de Suisse, where he will also have the chance to fight for a title not yet on his record.

He said: “Training has gone very well, both individually and as a team, and I’m arriving at the Tour de Suisse feeling strong and motivated. It’s my first time racing here, which makes it even more exciting."

“We’ve completed a good altitude block over the past few weeks and, after watching our teammates race and do well elsewhere, we’re eager to pin numbers on again and turn all that work into results.”

The presence of the reigning Tour de France champion automatically makes the Emirati squad one of the main reference points of the race, and even more so as he claims to be feeling in top form.

Around him he will have an experienced, high-level unit tasked with protecting his general classification ambitions and extending the team’s recent dominance on Swiss roads.

Nils Politt and Tim Wellen offer versatile rouleur support for the Slovenian while Felix Großschartner, Brandon McNulty, Domen Novak and recent Giro d'Italia triple stage winner Jhonatan Narváez provide an array of assistance in the hills and mountains.