Inside Pogacar’s major one-week stage race record ahead of Romandie and Suisse debuts

Paris-Nice records:

• Editions: 84
• Most victories: Sean Kelly - 7
• Most stage wins: Eddy Merckx - 20

Tadej Pogačar’s Paris-Nice record:

• Appearances: 1
• Best finish: 1st - 2023
• Stage wins: 3

The first race of the list, Paris-Nice, illustrates just how clinical Tadej Pogačar is. In one appearance at the Race to the Sun, Pogačar has won both the GC and three stages. 

Pogačar took to the start in 2023, and he claimed his first victory atop the steep La Loge des Gardes wall, moving into yellow ahead of David Gaudu and, notably, Jonas Vingegaard.

The trio would be locked in a battle on the next GC day on stage 7, with Pogačar crucially pipping both to the stage win, and marginally extending his lead. 

With the GC still relatively in the balance, Pogačar put the nail in the coffin on the final stage with his most commanding performance, winning both the stage and securing the GC with a 20km solo effort in Nice.

Tirreno-Adriatico records:

• Editions: 61
• Most victories: Roger De Vlaeminck - 6
• Most stage wins: Roger De Vlaeminck - 15

Tadej Pogačar’s Tirreno-Adriatico record:

• Appearances: 2
• Best finish: 1st - 2021, 2022
• Stage wins: 3

Tirreno-Adriatico is the race where Pogačar has enjoyed the most success. In two appearances, he has a 100% win rate, winning back-to-back in 2021 and 2022. 

The first success in 2021 saw Pogačar navigate a race that was defined by the swashbuckling racing of Classics stars such as Wout van Aert, Mathieu van der Poel and Julian Alaphilippe, who all won stages. 

Pogačar claimed victory on stage 4, and sealed the GC by 1:03 over Van Aert who took an impressive 2nd place, while Mikel Landa who finished 3rd was nearly 4 minutes back. 

The defence of his trident in 2022 saw Pogačar topple his new great foe, Jonas Vingegaard, winning two stages and finishing 1:53 ahead of the Dane, while Landa once more rounded out the podium.

Volta a Catalunya records:

• Editions: 105
• Most victories: Mariano Cañardo - 7
• Most stage wins: Miguel Poblet - 33

Tadej Pogačar’s Volta a Catalunya record:

• Appearances: 1
• Best finish: 1st - 2024
• Stage wins: 4

Pogačar has only raced the Volta a Catalunya once, back in 2024, but it was one of the Slovenian’s most dominant stage race performances in his career. 

Having been denied victory by an impressive last attack by Nick Schultz on the opening stage, Pogačar unleashed his fury over the competition on the second and third stages, winning both summit finishes at a canter. 

Pogačar kept his powder dry on stages 4 and 5, which ended in sprints, before wreaking havoc on the penultimate stage with a 30km solo exhibition. He would add one more victory, sprinting to the win on the final stage in Barcelona, securing the GC, points and Mountains classifications to mark a dominant performance.

Itzulia Basque Country records:

• Editions: 65
• Most victories: Alberto Contador and José Antonio González - 4
• Most stage wins: Sean Kelly and Domingo Perurena - 11

Tadej Pogačar’s Itzulia Basque Country record:

• Appearances: 2
• Best finish: 3rd - 2021
• Stage wins: 1

Itzulia Basque Country is the only race on this list that Pogačar has started, but not won. In fact, the Slovenian has made two appearances in the Basque Country, though both came in the earlier stages of his career. 

The most recent came in 2021 at a time when he had "only" won the Tour de France once and before his first Monument victory. 

In said edition, Pogačar's teammate, Brandon McNulty, moved into the race lead on stage 4 and held yellow until a chaotic final stage, where Primož Roglič took revenge on UAE for the 2020 Tour de France by stealing the race lead and winning the GC for the second time in his career.

In the end, it was a Jumbo-Visma 1-2, with rising talent Jonas Vingegaard taking 2nd, a few months before his breakthrough Tour de France. Meanwhile, Pogačar rounded out a star-studded podium in 3rd.

Tour de Romandie records:

• Editions: 78
• Most victories: Stephen Roche - 3
• Most stage wins: Mario Cipollini - 12

Tadej Pogačar’s Tour de Romandie record:

• Appearances: 0
• Best finish: n/a
• Stage wins: n/a

Following Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Pogačar will make a speedy trip to Switzerland to line up for the Tour of Romandie for the first time in his career. With the race suffering from financial troubles, the participation of the World Champion is even more significant for the race organisers, and they will be hoping that Pogačar can put on a clinic as he usually does. 

Slovenia already has an impressive record in Romandie with three GC victories, all coming since 2010. Simon Spilak, who always seemed to shine brightest on Swiss roads, became the first Slovenian winner in 2010, before Primož Roglič sealed back-to-back honours in 2018 and 2019. 

An interesting fact is that Pogačar has only ever ridden two races in his professional career that finished in the month of May. The 2019 Amgen Tour of California and the 2024 Giro d’Italia - he won both. 

Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes records:

• Editions: 77
• Most victories: Five riders: Hinault, Ocaña, Lauredi, Mottet, Froome - 3
• Most stage wins: Bernard Hinault - 10

Tadej Pogačar’s Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes record:

• Appearances: 2
• Best finish: 1st - 2025
• Stage wins: 3

The Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, more commonly known as the Critérium du Dauphiné, has established itself as a crucial final preparation race for the Tour de France. 

Despite Pogačar’s success at La Grande Boucle over the years, the World Champion didn’t ride the race between winning his first and third Tour de France titles. 

Pogačar made his debut at the Dauphiné back in 2020, in what was a shortened Covid edition. He finished 4th overall, behind winner Daniel Felipe Martínez, before going on to win his first Tour de France the following month.

Last year marked a return to the race for Pogačar after a prolonged absence. He started with a bang, winning a stage that, despite being tipped for a bunch sprint, saw the goliaths of the modern era, himself, Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel and Remco Evenepoel battle it out for victory. 

Things went awry on the time trial on stage 4, where he shipped time to Evenepoel and Vingegaard, raising a few question marks.

However, Pogačar quashed any concerns with a clinical performance over the final three stages, winning two and securing the GC, cementing himself as the firm favourite for the Tour, where he would also duly deliver. 

Tour de Suisse records:

• Editions: 88
• Most victories: Pasquale Fornara - 4
• Most stage wins: Peter Sagan - 18

Tadej Pogačar’s Tour de Suisse record:

• Appearances: 0 
• Best finish: n/a 
• Stage wins: n/a

While Pogačar may never have raced either the Tour de Romandie or Tour de Suisse, he certainly holds happy memories of racing in Switzerland, the country where he sealed his first road race world title.

The Tour de Suisse will be the final race for the World Champion before he aims to win a record-equalling fifth Tour de France which kicks off on July 4 in Barcelona.

The last male rider to win the Tour de Suisse and Tour de France in the same season was Egan Bernal back in 2019.