Results Tour de Romandie 2026 Stage 1 | Tadej Pogacar powers into race lead with sprint win from select group

Tadej Pogacar made an immediate statement at the Tour de Romandie 2026, attacking on the decisive climb to Ovronnaz before finishing the job in a reduced sprint to take victory on stage 1.

The Slovenian’s move on the steep gradients forced the race open, but not decisively enough to go clear alone. Lenny Martinez was the first to respond, with Florian Lipowitz fighting back to rejoin over the summit, before Jorgen Nordhagen bridged across to form a four-rider group that would ultimately decide the stage.

Earlier in the stage, Oscar Onley, one of the outside general classification hopes for INEOS Grenadiers, abandoned due to illness, alongside Hamish McKenzie.

The day’s breakaway of seven riders shaped the opening phase, building an advantage of over three minutes after forming shortly after the start. That group featured Louis Vervaeke, Sam Oomen, Pietro Mattio, Patrick Gamper, Roland Thalmann, Dillon Corkery and Alexy Faure Prost.

But sustained pressure from the peloton steadily reduced the gap, and the breakaway disintegrated on the final ascent. Corkery was the first to be dropped and caught, while repeated accelerations thinned the group further. Roland Thalmann nonetheless made his mark, taking maximum points on all three ascents of La Rasse to move into a strong position in the mountains classification.

The race turned on the slopes of Ovronnaz, where Pogacar launched his first major attack of the week. Only Martinez was initially able to hold the wheel, underlining the Frenchman’s climbing form, while Lipowitz limited his losses before returning to the front group as the gradient eased.

Despite the force of the acceleration, the move did not prove decisive. Pogacar was unable to shake his rivals completely, allowing the race to reset slightly over the top and into the descent.

Over the summit, the front of the race came together again. Pogacar, Lipowitz and Martinez were joined by Nordhagen, who bridged across to form a four-man group that quickly established itself as the decisive move of the stage.

Behind, a chasing group containing Primoz Roglic, Antonio Tiberi and Sergio Higuita attempted to organise a response, reducing the gap to around 20 seconds inside the final kilometres. But the leaders maintained their advantage on the flat run-in, with enough cooperation to hold off the chase.

The four riders entered the final kilometre together, setting up a sprint for the stage victory. Pogacar, having shaped the race earlier on the climb, proved strongest at the line, taking the win ahead of Lipowitz and Martinez, with Nordhagen completing the group.

The chasing group crossed the line 21 seconds later, confirming the decisive nature of the selection on Ovronnaz and establishing the first meaningful gaps in the general classification.