"They'll definitely try to make up time on me" - Romain Grégoire downshifts into a defensive mode for stage 4
Cycling
Romain Grégoire successfully defended his provisional lead at the Tour de Suisse, but there's still a bit of regret for the Frenchman as the peloton let one man ride away with a stage victory.
"It was a difficult day all the same. We really tried to control it with the team, to aim for the stage. I'm a little disappointed not to be able to thank them and reward them with a victory... but hey, I'm not second, so no regrets," the Frenchman refers to his growing list of second places.
Today was ultimately not an ideal day for the Groupama - FDJ puncheur anyways with a sprint of a group that was a bit too large for his liking. "It was a sprint. The last three kilometers were really tough. I was beaten by two stronger riders in the peloton, and in front, there was a rider [Quinn Simmons] who put on a real show... There are really no regrets."
Thus Grégoire continues to carry on with his 25-second lead over compatriot Kévin Vauquelin and two more seconds separate him from Bart Lemmen and another Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe. Tommorow, the Tour de Suisse continues to shift to a higher gear with a long, 35-kilometer Splüngenpass where the legs of everyone are bound to be tested.
While it's unlikely Wednesday will turn out to be a key GC day, some riders who gained time through stage 1 breakaway are bound to step back from the standings there.
For Grégoire, the day's main goal will be to fend off attacks and keep the yellow jersey. "Tomorrow is clearly a change of pace. We'll see how it goes, I'm expecting to have a complicated day. I think they'll try to make up time on me tomorrow, and that's normal... Even if there are these last 40 kilometers downhill, I think I'll have to be solid," he concludes.
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Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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