“It is very important to see the shape” - Tadej Pogacar uses brutal Tour de Suisse finale as final mountain test before Tour de France
Cycling
Tadej Pogacar’s Tour de Suisse is almost won, but the final stage around Villars-sur-Ollon still carries major value before the Tour de France.
The UAE Team Emirates - XRG leader starts the last day with yellow firmly under control after winning the stage 4 time trial in Aarburg by just four hundredths of a second ahead of Mathieu van der Poel. Stage 5 now gives him the one test the race had not yet delivered: a full high-mountain day under pressure.
The route starts and finishes in Villars-sur-Ollon, covers 151.1 kilometres, and includes 4,226 metres of elevation gain. With the repeated Col de la Croix circuit shaping the day, the finale is far removed from a quiet procession towards the overall win.
Speaking to Cycling Pro Net before the start, Pogacar made clear that the final stage was about more than defending the jersey.
Pogacar puts UAE strength at the centre
Pogacar starts stage 5 with a 4:22 lead over Richard Carapaz in the general classification, with Mathias Vacek third at 4:27, Andrea Bagioli fourth at 4:46 and Brandon McNulty fifth at 5:16. UAE have already won three of the first four stages, with Pogacar taking stages 1 and 4 and Jhonatan Narvaez winning stage 3.
The final mountain stage gives UAE another chance to use that depth, but Pogacar first pointed to the demands of managing the team across a hard route. “Today is a lot about team management and energy management, how we go through the stage with all the riders,” said Pogacar. “We hope for a good day, that all of our teammates have a good day.”
Asked whether he wanted to win again himself, Pogacar answered directly: “Yeah, for sure. We are here to win.”
UAE still have more than one way to approach the stage. McNulty sits inside the top five overall after the time trial, Felix Grossschartner remains another climbing option, and Narvaez has already turned one difficult day this week into a stage win.
Pogacar has already all but secured the GC win barring disaster
Final Tour de France check in the mountains
Pogacar left open the possibility of a teammate going for the stage if the race situation allows it. “I don't know,” he said. “If there is a chance, yeah. Brandon and Felix have for sure good climbing legs here. Also Johnny. Then we see.”
The Tour de Suisse has already tested Pogacar in different ways. His long solo on stage 1 showed his race-winning power, the Aarburg time trial confirmed his speed against the clock, and UAE’s stage 3 win showed the strength around him.
The Villars-sur-Ollon finale now brings the climbing test. With the Tour de France close, it gives Pogacar a chance to measure his legs and UAE’s mountain control on terrain much closer to what awaits in July.
“It is very important to see the shape,” said Pogacar when asked about the stage’s significance before the Tour de France. “I think we are on a good way, so it is good confirmation. Today is the last one.”
Pogacar has already put himself on the brink of overall victory. Stage 5 gives him one last hard mountain day, one last UAE test, and one final race-speed check before the Tour de France.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- as we all like the david-style rebels, he will leave a gap.Ketterechts12-11-2026
- Oy, don't insult girlsHills3312-11-2026
- lol yeah. this is a good onemij12-11-2026
- Mads is the best: I didn’t even know there were rules in cyclocross. I just thought it was a matter of: ‘Go, three, two, one, ride.’ It’s like a street fight, a kind of underground brawl. It’s the MMA of cycling he gives the best quotes.mij12-11-2026
- he's too young. he's 23, so not really a fair call yet.mij12-11-2026
- and don't forget Pidcock's departure. maybe he will never win a GT, but he knows how to light up a race.mij12-11-2026
- Bingo...I was going to say a 12 year obsessed Pogi fan girlie ! Like she's chasing a teen boy band! All glossy eyed about tadej!frieders312-11-2026
- That stint in the Pink was so good. If memory serves he struggled with the champagne cuz he'd never been on the podium before. I feel like it gave him some self-belief, and yeah - then the move to Visma to be one of their lieutenants has really brought him to the best version of himself.wrsty12-11-2026
- So, you never really compared Paul Seixas with his main rival Isaac Del Toro why jump to Pogačar? They've (Paul & Isaac) raced together here and there, and they've both shared in wins and losses, I think they should be compared to each other, even with Vingegaard and Remco first before even touching Pogačar. From your writing it's like he's better than Vingegaard, Remco and Del Toro already that his main target is now Pogačar 🤔Sadick11-11-2026
- gee i hope its a minor injury. a great rider and ambassador for the sport. get well soon Lucinda.
Davide11-11-2026
Loading
Write a comment