“It has been a good test for me”: Richard Carapaz encouraged by runner-up finish behind Pogacar at Tour de Suisse

Tadej Pogacar completed a dominant overall victory at the 2026 Tour de Suisse by winning the final stage to Villars-sur-Ollon, securing his third stage win in the five-day race. The Slovenian attacked on the final ascent, dropping all of his rivals and eventually catching and passing the last survivor of the breakaway, Lenny Martinez, to seal both the stage and the general classification. Behind him, Richard Carapaz produced another strong ride to finish seventh on the stage, a result that secured second place overall and provided an encouraging indication of his form ahead of the Tour de France.

The final stage featured four ascents of the Col de la Croix, raced in temperatures approaching 36ºC. UAE Team Emirates - XRG leader Pogacar once again proved untouchable when the road climbed for the final time.

The world champion accelerated on the decisive ascent, with Carapaz briefly managing to follow the initial move before eventually being distanced by the Slovenian’s relentless pace. Pogacar went on to claim the stage victory, completing a perfect week that saw him win three of the race’s five stages plus the overall classification.

While Pogacar dominated the race as expected, Carapaz emerged as one of the biggest positives of the week. After a relatively quiet first half of the season, the Ecuadorian showed consistent climbing form throughout the race and secured second place overall behind the overwhelming favourite.

“Yes. In the end, we knew it was going to be a very hard stage and also an important one because we were fighting for a podium place,” Carapaz said after the finish. “I leave very happy. I think it has been a good test for me.”

The EF Education-EasyPost rider highlighted the preparation he completed in Ecuador before returning to competition. “The preparation we have done in Ecuador has been among the best, and this is a first positive result after a long period without racing.”

Carapaz admitted that he arrived in Switzerland hoping to be competitive, although he was uncertain about exactly where he stood compared to the race’s strongest contenders. “At the start of the week, we came here thinking that I could be near the front, although I didn't know exactly how much,” he explained. “I think it is a nice result. It is a second place that was fought for from the beginning in a race that we knew would be very difficult.”

The 2021 Olympic champion also acknowledged Pogacar’s superiority throughout the race. “We knew that Tadej was the favourite and he proved it, so for me it is a great satisfaction to have been able to finish second.”

Carapaz's performance in Switzerland provides an important confidence boost ahead of the Tour de France, where he is expected to target mountain stages and potentially challenge for a high overall placing if his form continues to improve.

Asked whether he feels ready for cycling’s biggest race, the Ecuadorian gave a clear answer. “Yes. I think that after this, it is time to recover a little, and then we will be ready for the Tour.”