Tadej Pogacar already in tour form

In the dress rehearsal for the Tour de France, which starts in two and a half weeks, cycling superstar Tadej Pogacar demonstrated his strong form with an impressive show of power.

June 17, 2026

From: dpa

At the opening stage of the 89th edition of the Tour de Suisse, the 27-year-old won after a solo ride and confirmed his role as the absolute favorite for the overall victory in Switzerland.

With just under 70 kilometers to go, the Slovenian attacked and rode alone at the front from then on. The four-time Tour de France winner won the first stage, a 144-kilometer race around the Italian town of Sondrio, by a margin of 2:14 minutes ahead of Ecuadorian Richard Carapaz and 2:29 minutes ahead of Italian Andrea Bagioli.

Tadej Pogacar won the opening stage of the Tour de Suisse. © ANSA / GIAN EHRENZELLER

“That definitely wasn’t the plan. But it somehow worked out. Thanks to my teammates,” Pogacar said about the attack. Instead of eight stages, this year’s tour will only consist of five. Besides Pogacar, fans are also keeping an eye on former world champion Mathieu van der Poel from the Netherlands. The queen stage on Sunday in Villars-sur-Ollon will conclude the tour. It includes three ascents of the Col de la Croix.

Pogacar will attempt his fifth Tour de France victory at the race starting on July 4th in Barcelona. He will face competition from his long-time rival Jonas Vingegaard of Denmark and the French rising star Paul Seixas.

Keywords racing bike Tadej pogacar