“The first proper TT for me this year” - Tadej Pogacar faces “fun test” against the clock at Tour de Suisse stage 4

Tadej Pogacar will face his first major time trial test of the 2026 season on stage 4 of the Tour de Suisse, with the yellow jersey set to start last in Aarburg after another successful day for UAE Team Emirates - XRG.

Pogacar did not win stage 3 in Bad Ragaz, finishing safely in the bunch after a storm-hit day of early climbing, torrential rain and a late chase. His team still left with the victory, as Jhonatan Narvaez beat Xandro Meurisse in a two-up sprint after the pair held off the peloton.

The result kept Pogacar firmly in yellow before Saturday’s individual time trial. He leads Richard Carapaz by 2:50, with Andrea Bagioli third at 3:07, Mathias Vacek fourth at 4:16 and Finlay Pickering fifth at 4:41.

Speaking to Cycling Pro Net after stage 3, Pogacar said UAE had achieved what they set out to do by placing a rider in the break. “Yeah, it was the plan to get someone in the break. First it was Felix and Johnny in the break, and then only Johnny with Meurisse. They were really motoring away,” said Pogacar. “It was a flying stage, really fast, so chapeau to Johnny and Meurisse to keep it in the front today. I was super happy. We are all happy for Johnny.”

The Tour de Suisse now moves into a different kind of test, with stage 4 bringing an individual time trial in Aarburg before the final mountain stage in Villars-sur-Ollon.

Pogacar starts last at 17:02, one minute after Carapaz and two minutes after Bagioli. Brandon McNulty, Ilan Van Wilder, Wilco Kelderman and Narvaez are also among the late starters, while Primoz Roglic begins his ride earlier at 16:48 after dropping to 16th overall at 6:25.

For Pogacar, the stage is a useful checkpoint as much as a race-defining moment. He has already put himself in a commanding position overall, but the TT gives him a first proper chance this year to test his rhythm against the clock in race conditions.

“I don’t know. It is the first proper TT for me this year, I think,” he said. “It will be fun to test the legs, the sensations and everything. I am looking forward to tomorrow. It is always a nice day when it is a TT.”

Pogacar was also asked how he had found the Tour de Suisse after three days. His answer was typically understated: “It is all right.”

The race situation is rather stronger than that. Pogacar has already won stage 1, watched UAE add another victory through Narvaez on stage 3, and now carries a 2:50 buffer into the only individual time trial of this year’s race.