UAE reveal Pogacar's strong Suisse squad for final pre-Tour de France test

UAE Team Emirates-XRG have announced their squad for the upcoming Tour de Suisse, where they will be spearheaded by Tadej Pogačar.

Pogačar will make his Tour de Suisse debut in his final race ahead of the Tour de France, where he will be gunning for a record-equalling fifth title. 

The world champion has already won on Swiss soil this season, taking the GC and four stages at the Tour de Romandie in April, and will be the heavy favourite to add another WorldTour stage race to his palmares this week when the race kicks off on Wednesday.

The team supporting Pogačar in Switzerland is completed by Tim Wellens, Felix Großschartner, Brandon McNulty, Domen Novak, Nils Politt and Jhonatan Narváez.

Wellens has only raced alongside Pogačar once this season, at Liège-Bastogne-Liège. The Belgian champion had been ruled out for the majority of the spring classics after suffering a broken collarbone at Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne. 

The 35-year-old last raced the Tour de Suisse in 2018 and is expected to be a key part of UAE's Tour de France squad again, as he was in 2024 and 2025, winning a stage in the latter edition.

Großchartner and Novak were part of the team that supported Pogačar to victory in Romandie, and the strong climbing duo have been two of the World Champion's most loyal and dependable teammates over the years.

McNulty is set for his first outing since abandoning Itzulia Basque Country in early April. The American is one of the best in the business in one-week stage races, and will be a key addition for Pogačar. McNulty is also poised for a return to the Tour de France for the first time in four years. 

Politt also makes his Tour de Suisse debut, in what will be his final race before a remarkable tenth consecutive lap around France this July. Finally, Narváez will line up for his first race in Europe since the Giro d'Italia, where he won an impressive three stages. The Ecuadorian recently raced his national championships on June 12, finishing ninth.

Beyond the UAE squad, the 2026 Tour de Suisse line-up features Tom Pidcock, Primož Roglič and Mathieu van der Poel. The race begins on Wednesday, June 17, and takes place over a condensed five-stage format.