Lipowitz tries everything, but it is Pogačar who puts the final stamp on Romandie with stage win and overall title

Tadej Pogačar has won the fifth and final stage of the Tour de Romandie. The UAE Team Emirates-XRG world champion was pushed to his limits on the final climb by Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe), but in the sprint the Slovenian — as so often — proved a class above. Pogačar duly took the overall title as well.

Stage five was the last and one of the hardest stages of this year's Tour de Romandie. The riders covered 178.2 kilometres from Lucens to Leysin, with 3,524 metres of climbing and a final ascent of 14.3 kilometres at 5.9 per cent.

The day's breakaway formed after around ten kilometres. Jacob Söderqvist and Lorenzo Germani took the initiative for Lidl-Trek and Groupama-FDJ United, before Finn Fisher-Black and Jan Tratnik (both Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe) bridged across among others.

Eight riders in total made up the lead group, who built a gap of just over three minutes. UAE Team Emirates-XRG wanted to complete a quartet of stage wins for Pogačar, however, and received help in the peloton from Bahrain Victorious — riding in the service of Lenny Martinez.

With just over 50 kilometres remaining, the break's lead had shrunk sharply to two minutes. Up front, the riders kept turning the pedals smoothly, and the foot of the final climb to Leysin was reached with a small buffer over the approaching peloton.

On the final climb it was every man for himself at the front, and Fisher-Black proved the strongest. The New Zealander went early, knowing the peloton — driven hard by Bahrain Victorious — was only half a minute behind.

Everyone was rooting for the brave Fisher-Black, but he was caught seven kilometres from the summit, and attention turned to Martinez's real ambitions. He found himself alone with just under four kilometres to go, leaving UAE free to set the pace.

It was Lipowitz who launched the first genuine acceleration. Nordhagen quickly added a second attack on top of that, but all the main GC names were initially able to follow. A second move from Lipowitz soon caused more damage: only the yellow jersey of Pogačar could follow.

The two rode towards the line together, but a group of chasers had been close throughout and came back just before the finish. Lipowitz opened his sprint at that point, but Pogačar came over the top with force. With an imperious burst, the world champion put the final stamp on Romandie: a fourth stage win and the overall title.