'We just had to wait and wish' - Grégoire holds off Pogacar in full gas Suisse finale
Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ United) explained how the finish of stage 2 of the Tour de Suisse was “full gas” with Tadej Pogacar and Mathias Vacek closing in on the breakaway, but the Frenchman showed strength and poise to claim his second stage win in as many years.
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It was a tense finale at the end of another attritional stage at the Tour de Suisse with a strong breakaway out in front in the hilly finale to Locarno,
The breakaway didn’t have a full-on bunch closing in on them, but it might as well have been, as Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) was swarming in alongside an impressive Mathias Vacek (Lidl-Trek) and the already distanced Afonso Eulálio (Bahrain-Victorious).
Ultimately, the breakaway maintained enough of a pace inside the final kilometre to hold Pogačar and co at bay, and after some early sprints were launched, Grégoire bided his time until making his decisive move for an emphatic win.
“Yeah, it was a really hard day. We managed really well with the team, with getting into the breakaway, and we are really happy with this victory,” Grégoire said afterwards.
Holding off Pogacar in frantic finale
Grégoire explained how the group couldn’t have ridden any faster in what was a frantic finale as he was asked what he was thinking as Pogačar closed in.
“We couldn't do anything. We were just full gas, we couldn't accelerate, we just had to wait and wish he wouldn't be able to come back,” explained Grégoire.
For Grégoire, this is a second Tour de Suisse stage win in consecutive editions, having claimed a rain-soaked opening stage in 2025.
Grégoire would hold the jersey until the end of stage 5, and he described how his great connection with the race is in part thanks to his peaking in form at a crucial stage of the season, particularly with the Tour de France on the horizon.
“It’s a race that I like a lot. The profile is really good for me and it's always a moment of the year where I have good legs, so it’s good,” said Grégoire.
After a tough start to the truncated 2026 edition, stage 3 marks arguably the best opportunity for a wider-ranging sprint finish in Bad Ragaz. Yet there is still nearly 2,700m to contend with, and Grégoire expects another tight battle that could favour the breakaway.
“Yeah, tomorrow will be an interesting day. It will be a big battle, I think, between the breakaway and the sprinters' team,” said Grégoire. “So we will see tomorrow, it will be a good day.”
Result: Tour de Suisse stage 2
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