“The first proper TT for me this year” - Tadej Pogacar faces “fun test” against the clock at Tour de Suisse stage 4
Cycling
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.”
Pogacar turns focus to Aarburg time trial
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.
Pogacar in action
“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.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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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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