Tour de Romandie: Tadej Pogačar shatters peloton on 'queen stage' and wins stage 4

Tadej Pogačar delivered a commanding performance on the fourth stage of the Tour de Romandie, solidifying his position as the race leader with a solo victory on the demanding ‘queen stage’. After two sprint finishes earlier in the week, the World Champion reverted to his preferred aggressive style, launching decisive attacks on the Jaunpass climbs. He broke away from the general classification contenders just over three kilometres from the summit and then dropped his last pursuer, Florian Lipowitz, to solo downhill to the finish in Charmey, extending his overall lead. The stage itself was a challenging 149.6km route from Broc to Charmey, featuring multiple ascents of the Jaunpass and the Saanenmoser climb. An early breakaway of eight riders was gradually whittled down on the climbs, with the peloton, led by Pogačar’s UAE Team Emirates-XRG teammates, controlling the pace. The final climb saw a series of accelerations before Pogačar’s decisive move, which fragmented the group and left only a handful of riders in contention. Lipowitz managed to stay close for much of the climb but was ultimately unable to match the Slovenian’s pace. Pogačar acknowledged the strength of his rivals, particularly Lipowitz, who pushed him hard on the descent and kept the gap steady until the final kilometre. The victory, coupled with bonus seconds, doubled Pogačar’s advantage in the general classification from 17 to 35 seconds over Lipowitz, with Lenny Martinez now third but over two minutes behind. The stage outcome suggests a two-horse race for the overall title, with a significant gap to the rest of the field following the punishing climbs. With only one stage and a summit finish remaining, the battle for the Tour de Romandie crown appears to be between Pogačar and Lipowitz. The Slovenian’s dominant display on the queen stage not only demonstrated his climbing prowess but also his tactical acumen in managing the race’s critical moments. The final day promises an intense showdown as the contenders prepare for the concluding ascent that could decide the overall winner.