“All that remained was to hope he wouldn’t come back” - Romain Grégoire on top of the world as he holds of Pogacar to claim Tour de Suisse victory
Cycling
Romain Grégoire reaffirmed his affinity with the Tour de Suisse - after his resounding win last season - by taking stage 2 after surviving the break and resisting Tadej Pogacar’s ferocious late charge.
The Slovenian launched from the bunch with 8 kilometers to go, but couldn't reel him in. Moments after the finish, the Groupama - FDJ United rider underlined the day’s demands and the team’s collective effort.
“It was a very hard day. We managed things really well as a team. We made the break and we’re very happy with this win,” he said after the stage. The decisive moment came when Pogacar kicked clear of the chasing group and began to claw back seconds on the escapees.
Grégoire explained that, at that point, there was almost nothing left to respond with: “There was nothing we could do. We were flat out, but we couldn’t go any faster.” The only option was to hold the pace and hope the Slovenian could not complete the chase: “All we could do was wait and hope he wouldn’t come back.”
In the end, the margin was enough: “It was tight at the finish, but we did it.”
Romain Gregoire wins stage 2 of the Tour de Suisse 2026.
A Tour de Suisse specialist
The Frenchman recalled he had already won a stage here last season and admitted the route suits him particularly well.
“It’s a race I really like. The profiles are very good for me.” He also noted that he usually reaches this point of the calendar in some of his best form of the year: “It’s always a time of the season when I have good legs, so that’s good.”
Already looking to the next day, Grégoire predicted a highly tactical race: “Tomorrow will be an interesting day.”
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In his view, the win will hinge on the duel between the attackers and the sprinters’ teams: “I think there will be a big battle between the break and the sprinters’ teams. We’ll see tomorrow. It will be a good day.”
After withstanding the favorite’s attack and adding another win in Switzerland, Romain Grégoire confirms his excellent relationship with a race that consistently brings out his best.
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
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