Tour de Romandie 2026 Preview: Will Pogačar and UAE (re)assert their dominance in the Swiss mountains?
CyclingSaturday, 25 April 2026 at 09:04
After the classics season, many riders turn their attention to stage racing — and the Tour de Romandie is a reliable barometer for what lies ahead. In Switzerland, Tadej Pogačar will continue his Tour de France preparations after a busy spring, and he finds a course well suited to his qualities. IDL Pro Cycling runs you through everything to expect in Romandie.
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The Tour de Romandie reaches its 79th edition this year. The race has been part of the top tier of professional cycling since 2011, and its roll of honour includes some of the sport's greatest names: Eddy Merckx, Joop Zoetemelk, Stephen Roche, Chris Froome, Geraint Thomas, and Primož Roglič.
Defending champion João Almeida is not in the race this year. The Portuguese UAE rider won last year's edition on the final day, climbing from third to first on the closing mountain time trial. His team sends an even bigger card this time: Pogačar.
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Four teams — Alpecin-Premier Tech, Uno-X, Lotto-Intermarché and Decathlon CMA CGM — are using their annual wildcard to skip the race, as permitted once per season under WorldTour rules.
Recent winners Tour de Romandie
2025 João Almeida
2024 Carlos Rodriguez2023 Adam Yates
2022 Alexander Vlasov
2021 Geraint Thomas
2019 Primoz Roglic
2018 Primoz Roglic
2017 Richie Porte
2016 Nairo Quintana
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Route, stage favorites and times: Tour de Romandie 2026
Prologue, Tuesday, April 28: Villars-sur-Glâne - Villars-sur-Glâne (3.2 km)
Short and sharp — the best way to describe Romandie's traditional prologue. There are few corners on the 3.2-kilometre loop: four proper bends, with a chicane in the final 400 metres. Full gas from the start.
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Favorites
Ethan Hayter (Soudal Quick-Step)
Ivo Oliveira (UAE Emirates-XRG)
Tadej Pogacar (UAE Emirates-XRG)
Ethan Hayter (Soudal Quick-Step)
Ivo Oliveira (UAE Emirates-XRG)
Tadej Pogacar (UAE Emirates-XRG)
Times
Start: 3:28 p.m. (first rider)
Finish: 5:30 p.m. (last rider)
Start: 3:28 p.m. (first rider)
Finish: 5:30 p.m. (last rider)
Stage 1, Wednesday, April 29: Martigny - Martigny (170.6 km)
The peloton will tackle multiple local circuits on Wednesday, as is increasingly common on the modern race calendar. La Rasse is the key difficulty, appearing three times in the early sections before the riders face the Ovronnaz climb — whose final 2.7 kilometres average 10.4%. That's a serious test. There are still around 40 kilometres to the finish after the summit, but if the world champion really wants to...
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Favorites
Tadej Pogacar (UAE Emirates-XRG)
Valentin Paret-Peintre (Soudal Quick-Step)
Lorenzo Fortunato (XDS Astana)
Tadej Pogacar (UAE Emirates-XRG)
Valentin Paret-Peintre (Soudal Quick-Step)
Lorenzo Fortunato (XDS Astana)
Times
Start: 1:25 p.m.
Finish: around 5:26 p.m.
Start: 1:25 p.m.
Finish: around 5:26 p.m.
Stage 2, Thursday, April 30: Rue - Vucherens (173.1 km)
From the start in Rue, the riders head to Vucherens for three local circuits. There is no real climbing as such — but there is not a flat metre either. Up, down, up, down and up again, with the finish drawn just after the modest Vuillens climb.
Favorites
Mauro Schmid (Jayco AlUla)
Tadej Pogacar (UAE Emirates-XRG)
Daniel Felipe Martinez (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe)
Mauro Schmid (Jayco AlUla)
Tadej Pogacar (UAE Emirates-XRG)
Daniel Felipe Martinez (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe)
Times
Start: 1 p.m.
Finish: around 5:16 p.m.
Start: 1 p.m.
Finish: around 5:16 p.m.
Stage 3, Friday, May 1: Orbe - Orbe (176.6 km)
More local circuits on Friday, with relatively modest climbing by Romandie standards for much of the day. The difficulty is concentrated at the end, with the Col du Mollendruz (9 km at 6.1%) followed by a descent and a short flat run to the finish.
Favorites
Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious)
Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious)
Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious)
Tadej Pogacar (UAE Emirates-XRG)
Tadej Pogacar (UAE Emirates-XRG)
Times
Start: 1:35 p.m.
Finish: around 5:43 p.m.
Start: 1:35 p.m.
Finish: around 5:43 p.m.
Stage 4, Saturday, May 2: Broc - Charmey (149.6 km)
The weekend opens with a proper mountain stage. Riders tackle the Jaunpass from both sides before looping back and climbing it again — with the summit sitting just under 20 kilometres from the finish.
Favorites
Tadej Pogacar (UAE Emirates-XRG)
Junior Lecerf (Soudal Quick-Step)
Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe)
Tadej Pogacar (UAE Emirates-XRG)
Junior Lecerf (Soudal Quick-Step)
Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe)
Times
Start: 12:06 p.m.
Finish: around 4:06 p.m.
Start: 12:06 p.m.
Finish: around 4:06 p.m.
Stage 5, Sunday, May 3: Lucens - Leysin (178.2 km)
Unlike last year, there is no closing time trial in 2026. With over 3,500 metres of climbing, Sunday's stage is on paper the hardest of the week. From the start in Lucens, the riders face a series of short, moderate climbs before arriving at the Leysin summit finish — 14.3 kilometres at an average of 5.9%, with the hardest gradients in the closing kilometres. Anyone with ambitions on the final day will want to make their move here.
Favorites
Primoz Roglic (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe)
Tadej Pogacar (UAE Emirates-XRG)
Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe)
Primoz Roglic (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe)
Tadej Pogacar (UAE Emirates-XRG)
Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe)
Times
Start: 11:45 a.m.
Finish: around 3:58 p.m.
Start: 11:45 a.m.
Finish: around 3:58 p.m.
GC Favorites: Tour de Romandie 2026
By now it goes without saying: wherever Tadej Pogačar starts, the UAE Team Emirates-XRG world champion is among the favourites. In Romandie, the Slovenian finds a course that suits him well — and if he and his team are in the mood, he could realistically take multiple stage wins. Much will depend on how hungry he is, and with Pogačar, the answer to that question is almost always the same.
Who can make life difficult for him? The main threat comes from the Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe block, with Florian Lipowitz and Primož Roglič. Lipowitz finished third in Catalunya behind Vingegaard and Lenny Martinez — the Frenchman from Bahrain Victorious, who also brings Antonio Tiberi to Switzerland.
Oscar Onley is another name to watch — the INEOS Grenadiers leader was in good form in the Algarve in February before a crash at Paris-Nice disrupted his spring. Catalunya was modest for him. Valentin Paret-Peintre (Soudal Quick-Step), by contrast, was excellent in Barcelona — fourth overall.
The younger generation is also represented in Switzerland. Jørgen Nordhagen (Visma | Lease a Bike) and Junior Lecerf (Soudal Quick-Step) are names to follow. Luke Plapp (Jayco AlUla) has not raced since February, but was third at the UAE Tour when he did. XDS Astana field Lorenzo Fortunato, Sergio Higuita and Cristián Rodríguez as climbing options, while Pablo Castrillo (Movistar), David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ United) and Georg Steinhauser (EF Education-EasyPost) — third at Paris-Nice — are also worth watching.
Start list: Tour de Romandie 2026
Data powered by FirstCycling.com
IDL Pro Cycling 2026 Tour de Romandie top picks
Top favorite: Tadej Pogacar (UAE Emirates-XRG)
Outsiders: Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe), Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious) and Oscar Onley (INEOS Grenadiers)
Long shots: Primoz Roglic (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe), Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious), Valentin Paret-Peintre (Soudal Quick-Step), Jørgen Nordhagen (Visma | Lease a Bike), Luke Plapp (Jayco AlUla), Lorenzo Fortunato (XDS Astana) and Georg Steinhauser (EF Education-EasyPost)
Outsiders: Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe), Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious) and Oscar Onley (INEOS Grenadiers)
Long shots: Primoz Roglic (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe), Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious), Valentin Paret-Peintre (Soudal Quick-Step), Jørgen Nordhagen (Visma | Lease a Bike), Luke Plapp (Jayco AlUla), Lorenzo Fortunato (XDS Astana) and Georg Steinhauser (EF Education-EasyPost)
How to watch Tour de Romandie 2026 on TV?
Below you can find where to watch the Tour de Romandie on TV in English:
- United Kingdom - HBO Max now carries all of the UK cycling coverage.
- USA - You will need a subscription to Peacock to watch the racing in the USA.
- Canada - FloBikes carries the stream for Canadian fans. Again you will need a subscription
- Australia -Australian fans can watch both the men's and women's races for free on SBS on Demand
- In Europe, viewers can catch all the action on Eurosport
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Latest Comments
- Here is a novel idea......it's a road bike race, stick to smooth asphalt courses! Cobble is like mild off-road cross riding!!!!Germanrazor14-04-2026
- To lose a race like that on a mechanical problem in this day and age is unforgivable. Why aren't all riders using the same (interchangeable) gear? It is the job of the team manager to manage and reduce risk variables. The fact that he not only didn't pick up on the potential issue but actually ok'd it is just madness.fatehasfans13-04-2026
- Rider X, y and z? Could you update?yaNzKEWL21-03-2026
- Can anyone help me understand the thinking behind the two punishments? Are the commissaires saying you get thrown out of the race for a second inadvertent disposal of a bidon (even to the delight of fans) but that as long as you can afford it you can show off your phalangeal cuticles all day long on international TV? Aking for a friend.packfiller7112-03-2026
- It's a bit embarrassing that. Isn't the main sponsor supposed to keep them at 36.5 ?tomjacques03-03-2026
- They were close to cracking a very tired Tadej that wasn't fully focused on the TdF with a team of riders focused solely on cracking Tadej. And if they cracked him, he would have still won. Tadej won't be racing the giro this year. It'll be an even easier win for him.Veganpotter09-02-2026
- Nice!Bea22-01-2026
- Those events are mental rest for him. Fun, without expectations. *Sagan lost his abilities because he gained weight and got lazy. Pogi will likely retire before that has a chance at happening.Veganpotter14-12-2025
- Ah, the consequences of riding for Israel.Veganpotter11-12-2025
- Pidcock could follow everyone but Pogi while finishing 3rd. No second place rider this season😃Veganpotter16-11-2025
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