Pogačar beats Van der Poel at the Tour de Suisse time trial by the slimmest of margins

Stage four of the Tour de Suisse has been won by Tadej Pogacar. The Slovenian from UAE Team Emirates-XRG beat Mathieu van der Poel, who spent a long time in the hot seat, by just 0.30 seconds after a 23.7-kilometre time trial. With it, the yellow jersey holder claimed his second win of this Tour de Suisse.

A crucial test in Switzerland ahead of the Tour de France: Saturday's time trial was expected not only to create some gaps, but also to offer a good opportunity to fine-tune the final details on the time trial bike. At nearly 24 kilometres and almost entirely flat, it promised to be a real power fest in Aarburg.

We'd already seen in the women's race — courtesy of winner Marlen Reusser — that significant gaps could genuinely be made. Among the earliest starters were no major time trial specialists: Luxembourger Arthur Kluckers (Tudor) had set the fastest time, only to be overtaken by Nils Politt. The German from UAE Team Emirates-XRG was the first sign of a pattern.

Because the Emirates team showed up strongly in the time trial. Tim Wellens went a full thirty seconds under his teammate's time and was also faster than Alec Segaert (Bahrain Victorious). But plenty of eyes were on Mathieu van der Poel. The Dutchman from Alpecin-Premier Tech had promised to go full gas, and there was a chance he could produce something special.

At the first time check, he immediately showed he meant business. He'd already caught green mountains jersey holder Louis Vervaeke (Soudal Quick-Step) by that point and was 11 seconds up on Wellens. It looked sensational for Van der Poel, who flew through the corners. At the finish, the Dutchman had enough in hand: the margin was 12 seconds, and he took his place in the hot seat.

A phenomenal performance. Riders like Fred Wright (Pinarello-Q36.5, provisionally fifth) and Finn Fisher-Black (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, fourth) also rode solid time trials, but couldn't match the provisional leader's time. Sander de Pestel (Decathlon CMA CGM, third) also rode surprisingly well, but Van der Poel's time still went unchallenged.

That was supposed to change once the big GC names set off. With Primož Roglič (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe), Felix Großschartner, Brandon McNulty and Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) still to come, the Dutchman's time was surely going to come under threat. The first of those, the Slovenian Roglič, was already conceding more than twenty seconds at the first time check, however.

With yellow jersey holder Pogacar, the final rider had now set off. He immediately showed his intent with an explosive start. Before we got a time from the Slovenian, we saw McNulty and Tobias Foss (Ineos Grenadiers) come through slower than Van der Poel at the time check. But Mathias Vacek (Lidl-Trek), fourth overall, was four seconds quicker at the halfway point.

Pogacar passed through there a little later: just under a second quicker than Vacek! We had a brilliant three-way battle for victory on our hands. Pogacar had a useful target in Richard Carapaz: he caught the EF Education-EasyPost leader shortly after the halfway point. Roglič crossed the line eighth, which was a disappointment. Not long after, both Foss and McNulty also came through slower than Van der Poel.

The Norwegian, however, was faster than the Dutchman over the second half, showing that something was possible. For Vacek, though, the clock was working against him: he lost ten seconds to Van der Poel at the finish. All that remained was to wait for Pogacar — and he made it extremely tense. With one final, ultimate sprint, he held off the Dutchman by just 0.31 seconds.