Tadej Pogacar might win this year's Tour de Romandie, and he may be the last ever winner: "Unlike almost all other sports, we can’t sell tickets"

The Tour de Romandie could take to the road in 2026 without a title sponsor for the yellow jersey. After several years partnered with Vaudoise Assurances and, more recently, Le Maréchal cheese, the organization has yet to find a successor, leaving a gap that represents around 10% of an annual budget of roughly 4.5 million Swiss francs.

Just weeks before the start, the situation is delicate. “And it will be very difficult to make up for lost time,” admits race director Richard Chassot, in statements to 20 minutes. “Because these are considerable budgets… For this year, everything that could be printed has already been done. The banners, the finish-line arches, all the places where you can put advertising. If someone wants to become the main sponsor of this edition, it’s almost a mission impossible. Either we’ll find a patron who’s happy to put their name on our yellow jersey, is satisfied with that visibility, and wants to help save the Tour de Romandie.”

The financial leeway is slim and doesn’t allow for big maneuvers. “The Tour de Romandie Foundation doesn’t have the reserves needed to stage three or four editions while waiting for a potential sponsor,” explains the Swiss official. “We have enough resources to stage one edition without the backing of the yellow jersey sponsor. But since I don’t want to lower our safety or accommodation standards, and we want to remain in the WorldTour (the elite of cycling, which guarantees the organizer the participation of the world’s best teams), every day costs us a lot of money. Covid ate into part of our reserves and we’re obliged to find a title sponsor.”

Despite the difficulties, the race retains a strong international profile. In 2025, around 36,000 viewers followed the live broadcast daily in French-speaking Switzerland on RTS2, with peaks around 72,000 on mountain stages. The broadcast usually reaches more than 135 countries and can approach 190 depending on the edition. Media presence has also grown significantly, particularly with big names from the peloton.

The winner of last year’s edition was none other than the Portuguese rider João Almeida, of UAE Team Emirates - XRG, having finished 2nd on two stages and 3rd on another. Lenny Martinez and Jay Vine, Almeida’s teammate, completed the podium. Samuel Watson, Mathhew Brennan, Lorenzo Fortunato, Jay Vine, Lenny Martinez and Remco Evenepoel were the winners of the 6 stages.

In 2026, expectations rise with the participation of Tadej Pogačar, who aims to add the Swiss race to his palmarès. The Slovenian will use this competition as preparation for the Tour de France, where he could equal the record of five victories held by Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain. It’s also worth recalling that the race is part of the 7 “major tours” — the most important one-week WorldTour races — and that the world champion is targeting victories in all of them, having already won four: Paris–Nice, Tirreno–Adriatico, Volta a Catalunya and Critérium du Dauphiné.

The international economic context has also hampered the attraction of investment. Amid recent crises and global instability — notably the war in Ukraine and the Middle East conflict — many companies have opted for greater caution. “It never stops,” laments Chassot. “But our 2026 edition can be a platform for the next one. Because without a title sponsor for 2027, we won’t be able to maintain financial stability. In cycling, it’s a fragile balance because, unlike almost all other sports, we can’t sell tickets.”

Meanwhile, there has been news on the Swiss cycling scene, with Lidl stepping in as a sponsor of two of the country’s main races. “Cycling is perfectly aligned with our values: it’s accessible, healthy, and brings people together,” explained Bram van der Valk, head of Lidl Switzerland. “Through our involvement in the Tour de Suisse and the Tour de Romandie, we hope to encourage people to simply incorporate physical activity and a balanced diet into their daily lives.”

Even so, the race director acknowledges the difficulties in attracting domestic investment. “Those who have money here are generally not interested in cycling, and the companies that need to promote themselves currently prefer to stabilize their business, which is perfectly normal,” concludes Chassot.

“The insurance sector and the big banks here tend to invest abroad. Yet we’re the only sporting event to carry the name ‘Romandie’, which doesn’t exist politically, and to showcase it internationally. And if Pogačar wears the yellow jersey, that provides incredible exposure!”