Pogacar storms to back-to-back wins in peloton sprint at the Tour de Romandie

A day after setting the tone with an attacking ride to Ovronnaz, the Slovenian once again proved untouchable on a demanding 173.1km route from Rue to Vucherens. The stage, built around three laps of a punchy circuit featuring the 3.1km climb to Vuillens, had been widely expected to favour explosive riders, and it delivered an aggressive race from the outset.

An early breakaway eventually formed, featuring Jakob Söderqvist (Lidl-Trek), Filippo Conca (Jayco AlUla), Roland Thalmann (Tudor Pro Cycling) and Henri-François Renard-Haquin (Picnic PostNL). The quartet built a lead of around two minutes, but the peloton remained firmly in control, gradually reducing the gap as the race entered its final phase.

With teams like Ineos Grenadiers and UAE Team Emirates-XRG taking responsibility at the front, the advantage shrank steadily on the last lap. By the time the riders approached the closing kilometres, the breakaway’s fate was all but sealed.

Söderqvist made a late bid for glory, attacking his fellow escapees inside the final 10 kilometres, but his effort ultimately proved futile. The 23-year-old was reeled in with just four kilometres remaining as the peloton surged forward.

From there, attention turned to the favourites. Riders like Dorian Godon, Florian Lipowitz and Lenny Martinez positioned themselves for the uphill finish, but it was Pogačar who once again took control.

After a late acceleration from Godon inside the final 250 metres, Pogačar responded with trademark authority, launching past his rivals in the closing metres to secure his second consecutive stage win.

With the victory, Pogačar extends his general classification advantage and reinforces his status as the rider to beat in this year’s race.