“This was definitely not the plan” - Tadej Pogacar reveals spontaneous spark behind outrageous Tour de Suisse stage 1 demolition
Cycling
Tadej Pogacar made his first Tour de Suisse appearance look almost absurdly simple on stage 1, but the world champion insisted afterwards that his race-altering 70km assault had not been drawn up in advance.
The UAE Team Emirates - XRG leader blew the opening stage around Sondrio apart long before the expected finale, eventually taking control of both the stage and the general classification on the first day of the new five-stage format. Richard Carapaz finished 2:22 down in second, Andrea Bagioli was third at 2:39, and Primoz Roglic ended the day almost five minutes behind.
Pogacar’s winning move began after the intermediate sprint, where he and Brandon McNulty sensed the chance to turn pressure into something far more damaging. From there, what could have been a short acceleration became a ride that reshaped the race.
“I don't know, this was definitely not the plan, but somehow it worked, thanks to the teammates, I think, because without them blocking in the back, setting the place before this wouldn't be possible,” said Pogacar as he warmed down after the finish.
‘Me and Brandon looked at each other and said, let’s go’
The opening kilometres had not pointed towards a day of such destruction. Pogacar said the start had been manageable, before the first major climb of the stage changed the feeling of the race.
“It was hard, really hard. The start was easy, and everything was under control. The first climb of the day was already super hard just to go up, but Nils Politt and Tim Wellens did an amazing pace there,” he explained. “Then, after the bonus seconds, me and Brandon looked at each other and said, 'Let's go'.”
That moment turned the stage away from the expected punchy finale and into a long solo test. Pogacar bridged across to Frederik Dversnes and then continued alone, while the groups behind never regained control.
“We tried something, and from then on, we just went. I didn't have radio at that time, so I didn't know what's going on in the back, so I just kept riding hard,” he said. “Once I knew the gap is quite big, I could set into the rhythm and try to hold it to the finish, which was super long and really hard, but was also at the same time quite technical, so it was really nice to be alone.”
UAE already looking beyond stage 1
The size of the gaps leaves Pogacar in a commanding position before the race has even crossed fully into its final shape. Saturday’s 24km individual time trial and Sunday’s queen stage to Villars-sur-Ollon still offer major GC terrain, but the opening day has already given UAE Team Emirates - XRG a huge platform.
Pogacar’s first priority for stage 2 is more controlled. He will start in the leader’s jersey, with UAE also holding cards through McNulty, Jhonatan Narvaez and Felix Grossschartner.
“Stay safe and keep the jersey,” Pogacar said when asked what is goal is tomorrow. “We have a strong team; we can try to go for the stage with Johnny Narvaez, Brandon McNulty, or Felix Grossschartner, or anybody else in the team, we'll see how the guys feel.”
After a stage that began with a controlled first hour and ended with the race leader already minutes clear of most of the GC field, UAE’s position has changed quickly. Pogacar arrived in Switzerland chasing a race missing from his palmares. One day in, everyone else is already working from a very different starting point.
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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