'It was a hard transition' – Tadej Pogačar climbs his first mountain of 2026 but has to ride within himself

Tadej Pogačar faced a challenging return to mountain climbing during the opening road stage of the 2026 Tour de Romandie, marking his first long ascent since last October. Despite describing the transition from shorter, punchier climbs to a sustained, steep gradient as difficult, the world champion demonstrated control and composure throughout the stage. His victory was a blend of tactical intelligence and physical strength, underscoring his adaptability after a season start focused exclusively on one-day Classics races. Pogačar’s season so far has been dominated by success in prestigious one-day events, including wins at Strade Bianche, Milan-San Remo, the Tour of Flanders, and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. The Tour de Romandie represents his first multi-stage race of the year, and the demanding Ovrannax climb, with an average gradient nearing 10%, tested his endurance and race strategy. Rather than launching an immediate solo attack, Pogačar chose to pace himself carefully, recognising the difficulty of the long descent and a subsequent headwind that would sap energy in the final 23 kilometres. On the climb, Pogačar’s initial acceleration was matched by Bahrain Victorious’ Lenny Martinez, with Florian Lipowitz and Jorgen Nordhagen joining the lead group in the valley. Pogačar acknowledged the tactical complexity of the situation, particularly given Lipowitz’s reluctance to work due to his teammate Primož Roglič’s presence in the chase group. The Slovene champion credited his young companions for their strong pulls at the front, which helped maintain their advantage despite the chasing pack closing in. His measured effort and tactical nous ultimately enabled him to out-sprint his breakaway companions and secure the stage win. Now donning the yellow jersey as leader of the Tour de Romandie, Pogačar expressed confidence in his team’s ability to control the race in the coming days. He hinted at an aggressive approach in the mountains ahead, stating that “the best defence is to attack,” signalling his intent to maintain pressure on rivals through assertive racing. This performance not only confirms his versatility across different race formats but also sets the tone for his ambitions in stage races this season.