Can these riders challenge Tadej Pogačar at the 2026 Tour de Suisse? - Four key contenders to take on the Slovenian before Tour de France
Cycling
Tadej Pogacar’s impact in the peloton is indisputable. At 27, he is already seen as a sporting legend. Only Eddy Merckx surpasses him for historical dominance in cycling. And it is precisely because of the Cannibal that he lines up at the Tour de Suisse: to narrow the gaps in his palmarès and match his titles.
On his road to the 2026 Tour de France, the Slovenian arrives after a flawless start to the season, winning everything he targeted except Paris-Roubaix. He won Strade Bianche, Milano–Sanremo, Tour des Flandres, Liège–Bastogne–Liège and Tour de Romandie.
The Tour de Suisse, despite being reduced from eight to five stages this season, remains one of the key build-up races for the Tour de France, a decisive test to gauge July form, and a stage traditionally used by the sport’s biggest stars to send messages before the Grande Boucle.
Although Paul Seixas, Remco Evenepoel and Jonas Vingegaard will not take part, the start list offers strong alternatives we will see at the big French tour or at the Vuelta a España late in the summer.
The Swiss race will start on June 17th and will once again serve as the last big exam for many Tour de France contenders. The historic Tour de Suisse presents a compact yet demanding structure. For the first time, the race will start outside Switzerland, specifically in the Italian town of Sondrio. From there, the peloton will traverse some of the country’s most recognisable sites, passing through Locarno, Bad Ragaz and Aarburg before concluding in Villars-sur-Ollon.
The opening three days offer rolling profiles and ideal terrain for punchers like Tadej Pogacar or Tom Pidcock and for GC men. The only clear opportunity for the fast men arrives on stage three, while the individual time trial in Aarburg will open gaps before the final showdown.
The route appears built to funnel into the queen stage to Villars-sur-Ollon, a high-mountain day with more than 4,400 metres of elevation gain that should decide the general classification. It will be a fitting finale to a short, intense edition with a luxury cast led by Pogacar, alongside names such as Primoz Roglic, Antonio Tiberi, Lenny Martinez, Mathieu van der Poel, Javi Romo and Orluis Aular.
Richard Carapaz, Ecuadorian star of EF Education
Richard Carapaz offers mountain challenge
Richard Carapaz returns as one of the key references for the high mountains. The Ecuadorian reappears this season with good sensations after a long spell away from racing due to a perineal issue, and he has already shown his level with a brilliant third place at GP Gippingen, held last week in Switzerland.
The EF Education-EasyPost rider had not raced since the Volta a Catalunya and, after missing the Giro d’Italia 2026, now centres his build-up on the Tour de France. Before the Grande Boucle, Carapaz heads to the Tour de Suisse aiming to keep sharpening his condition.
The 2019 Giro d’Italia winner will return to the Tour after skipping last year’s edition and is poised to regain prominence in the Grand Tours after overcoming the physical problems that sent him to the operating table. In any case, the Ecuadorian remains a guarantee when the road tilts up, thanks to his ability to perform at the highest level on big mountain stages.
Antonio Tiberi hopes to re-find early season form
Antonio Tiberi approaches the Tour de Suisse with a dual aim. First, to check his shape after several weeks of altitude work on Teide. Second, to test himself against Tadej Pogacar, the race’s main favourite and a global reference, less than three weeks from the start of the Tour de France. The Bahrain Victorious rider has built his entire season around his debut at the Grande Boucle.
After a sparkling start between the UAE Tour and Trofeo Laigueglia, he went through a trickier spring, something he sees as normal after months competing at the highest level. Now he seeks in Switzerland the definitive sensations to approach his season’s main goal with confidence. Beyond results, Tiberi wants to confirm his progression remains on track.
The 24-year-old says he has undergone a major mental shift over the past year, learning to handle pressure and to ignore external expectations and constant comparisons with figures like Pogacar or Jonas Vingegaard. The Slovenian’s presence makes the Tour de Suisse a demanding test. For Tiberi, however, the goal is not necessarily to beat the world champion, but to see how close he can get to the best climbers on the planet.
A key test before his first Tour de France with the aim of fighting for the general classification and, if the race allows, targeting a top‑10 finish.
Lenny Martínez brings consistency
Lenny Martinez’s presence at the 2026 Tour de Suisse adds extra uncertainty to a race that, on paper, looks set for Tadej Pogačar’s dominance. The young French climber arrives in Switzerland as one of the season’s most consistent riders, intent on closing the gap to the sport’s leading reference point.
At 22, Martínez has taken a clear step up in 2026. His first major statement came at Paris–Nice, where he finished fifth overall, only behind top‑tier riders led by Jonas Vingegaard. He soon confirmed that progression at the Volta a Catalunya, taking second overall behind the Visma Dane and showing a consistency that placed him among the strongest stage racers on the calendar.
His last outing before Suisse came at the Tour de Romandie, also on Swiss roads. There he again faced the leading favourites and finished third overall, only behind Pogačar and Florian Lipowitz. He also won the young riders’ classification, underlining his upward trajectory. The Tour de Suisse now poses a maximum‑stress exam. With less than three weeks to the Tour de France, the Bahrain‑Victorious rider has an ideal chance to animate the race while fine‑tuning his form.
Russian riders like Vlasov compete under a neutral flag
Aleksandr Vlasov not heading to Tour de France
Aleksandr Vlasov heads to the 2026 Tour de Suisse on a different trajectory to other contenders, with every indication he will skip the Tour de France. The Red Bull rider took on a domestique role at the Giro d’Italia, supporting Jai Hindley and Giulio Pellizzari, while still showing himself when the race demanded it on selective terrain or on days for the break.
Although he was far from the general classification in the Corsa Rosa, his high‑mountain performances showed he can respond on the toughest days, staying solid within a structure balancing individual ambitions and collective goals. Now, in Suisse, he regains leadership status. At GP Gippingen last weekend, he was beaten only by Liam Slock, with Richard Carapaz behind after a tightly fought finish.
Read also
In a race widely expected to be ruled by Tadej Pogačar, Vlasov lines up as a serious outsider, capable of exploiting a range of scenarios, much like his teammate Primoz Roglic, whose big target is La Vuelta and whose form is still being built.
The Tour de Suisse is a chance to see whether the Russian can turn his Giro solidity and recent Gippingen podium into a real threat for the rest.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- I get the point totally. We live in the snowflake society where some riders forget they are getting paid to ride and get results. When they have a few issues they try to look outside of the real issue instead of themselves. It odd so many of the team are making no complaints and getting on with their job. If you do not like what you do find another job simples. Tough love as my mum would say.paultryan200207-11-2026
- 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
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