Results Tour de Romandie 2026 Stage 4 | Tadej Pogacar storms to third win of the week as Primoz Roglic's breakaway gamble fades on Jaunpass

Tadej Pogacar tightened his grip on the 2026 Tour de Romandie with a commanding solo victory on the queen stage to Charmey, attacking on the final ascent of the Jaunpass before holding his advantage on a high speed descent to the line.

The world champion crossed the finish alone to claim his third stage win of the week, with Florian Lipowitz following around 20 seconds later after a measured but ultimately unsuccessful chase. Behind them, the race for the general classification fractured completely, with the rest of the contenders losing over a minute on the decisive climb.

The stage had been aggressive from the outset, with repeated attacks on the opening ascents of the Jaunpass preventing any immediate control from forming in the peloton. Among those to take the initiative was Primoz Roglic, who attacked from the peloton and bridged across to the breakaway in a move that reflected his pre stage intention to anticipate the race.

The Slovenian later drove a reduced front group on the lower slopes of the final Jaunpass, briefly forming part of a leading quartet alongside Louis Vervaeke, Valentin Paret-Peintre and Michael Leonard. Roglic did not hesitate to take responsibility at the front, increasing the pace and thinning that group further as the gradient bit.

For a moment, it looked like the move might reshape the race. But behind, the situation was already shifting.

UAE Team Emirates - XRG rode with patience through the middle phase of the stage before tightening their grip ahead of the final climbs. The peloton was steadily reduced under their tempo, shrinking from a large group earlier in the day to a select group of around 20 riders by the time the race reached the final ascent of the Jaunpass.

The breakaway’s advantage, once comfortably above two minutes, was cut down rapidly, and by the foot of the climb the outcome was beginning to feel inevitable.

The race was decided on the final climb. Pogacar accelerated through the remnants of the break, briefly going clear before Lipowitz managed to respond and limit the damage. But with around one kilometre to the summit, the Slovenian went again. This time the move proved decisive.

Pogacar crested the Jaunpass alone, opening a gap that stretched to around 25 seconds, while Lipowitz followed in second. Behind them, Lenny Martinez, Jorgen Nordhagen and the rest of the contenders were already over a minute down. From that point, the stage became a test of control.

On the descent to Charmey, Pogacar committed fully, descending at speeds approaching 100 kilometres per hour and maintaining a steady advantage over his nearest rival. Lipowitz, to his credit, held the gap at around 20 seconds for much of the run in, but was unable to bring it down on the fast, open roads.

Further back, the race continued to fragment. There was a moment of concern for Carlos Rodriguez, who crashed on a sharp corner while chasing. On a descent taken at such high speeds, the outcome could have been far worse, but he was able to remount quickly with only minor injuries and continue.

At the finish, Pogacar’s advantage was clear. The Slovenian not only secured another stage win, but also extended his lead in the general classification, underlining his control of the race heading into the final stages.

Lipowitz strengthened his position as the closest challenger, while the rest of the contenders were left to limit their losses after being distanced on the Jaunpass.

As for Roglic, his early aggression ultimately came to nothing. After animating the race in the opening phase, he faded from contention as the general classification battle took over on the final climb.

With three stage victories from five days of racing, Pogacar’s dominance over this edition of the Tour de Romandie is becoming increasingly clear. On the hardest stage of the race, he did not just respond to the challenge. He defined it. Barring a dramatic turnaround, the race now appears firmly under his control heading into the final stages.