Tour de Romandie 2026 stage 2 preview, profiles, favourites & predictions - Godon the main favourite but can Pogacar surprise on the only sprint stage of the week?

The 2026 Tour de Romandie will take place from the 28th of April to the 3rd of May and will make for Tadej Pogacar's debut in a stage-race this year. The Swiss race provides the final big test ahead of the Giro d'Italia whilst also following the spring classics, a period where many are looking to save their campaign. We preview stage 2, which is estimated to start and finish at 13:20 and 17:15CET.

The race was first held in 1947 with Belgian Désiré Keteleer taking the first win. Taking part in the French part of Switzerland, it is a race that has had a very international list of winners, from several generations and also different types of riders. But many of the greats have marked their name on it such as Eddy Merckx, Bernard Thévenet, Bernard Hinault, Stephen Roche and Laurent Jalabert.

Alrrady this century we've had Cadel Evans, Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome use Romandie ahead of their maiden Tour de France wins; whilst huge names such as Nairo Quintana, Richie Porte, Primoz Roglic and Geraint Thomas have also won the GC on what is considered to be one of the seven big non Grand-Tour stage-races.

Adam Yates won it in 2023, Carlos Rodríguez in 2024; and in 2025 it was João Almeida who won the race on the final day after dethroning Lenny Martínez from the yellow jersey.

Stage 2 of the race provides a slightly easier profile than the previous one, however one with more overall climbing throughout the day. It lacks a mountain, but the 173-kilometer day from Rue to Vucherens has 2700 meters of climbing, which start right from the first kilometers.

The riders then take a three-lap circuit finishing in Vucherens, with the finish line following a small ascent. It's a day for classics specialists to have a chance, although a sprint finish is quite likely from a peloton that includes only those who can survive the climbs - a breakaway can also well succeed.

In these rolling roads it's not easy to control, and the final climb may be made harder by the fatigue that will set itself throughout the day. 3.1 kilometers long at 5.4% will end with a mere 2.5 kilometers to go. The pace will be high, attacks are likely, and even an opportunist move can succeed here. If not, a reduced bunch sprint should provide the fast men with their only chance of the week.

This is the stage that best provides opportunities for the sprinters in this race, although frankly there is not a single pure sprinter. It was a race designed for the climbers, which doesn't make all sense as the sprinters are basically free at this time of year - very few will go to Frankfurt whilst the Giro d'Italia doesn't really take the majority of the fast men.

It is a stage that on paper is for the puncheurs, but because it's the fastest one, the fast men will want to fight for it and so several teams will have the interest in controlling. First and foremost, Tadej Pogacar can win it. Yes it lacks the overall toughness but if Pogacar can make such huge gaps on a climb like Cipressa then that final 3-kilometer long ascent could see the same happen. I doubt he will want to do it however, and whether he will try to sprint or not will probably be figured out in the head of the moment. UAE may provide Ivo Oliveira with the opportunity, after he looked very strong in the prologue and as he's shown good quality in such finishes in the past.

Dorian Godon will be in my opinion the man to beat and with Oscar Onley out of the race, INEOS should divert their full focus onto him. Yes he's won a stage, but INEOS won't win one of the others, and here they do have a rider who can climb really well but should above all have the strongest sprint in the field. Joining him, I believe Visma may help to chase for Axel Zingle whilst Lidl-Trek will definitely deposit their confidence into the young Albert Philipsen who is also taking huge steps and has the perfect climb-sprint balance for a finale such as this.

Aside from the men above you could potentially see someone like Casper Pedersen or Marius Mayrhofer try to go for a sprint although they certainly will struggle to survive the climb in a good position; whilst we have puncheurs such as Mauro Schmid, Clément Champoussin, Max Schachmann and Finn Fisher-Black who may give it a go with a late attack - or even sprint to victory if the group is thinned out quite a lot.

*** Dorian Godon

** Tadej Pogacar, Axel Zingle, Albert Philipsen

* Ivo Oliveira, Mauro Schmid, Casper Pedersen, Marius Mayrhofer, Finn Fisher-Black, Lenny Martínez

Pick: Dorian Godon

How: Reduced bunch sprint