After the prologue, the first road stage of the Tour de Romandie 2026 included the first tough climb: The Ovronnaz climb (1st category) awaited in the final section of the 171.2-kilometre stage. Accordingly, the big names came into action - initiated by an attack from Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates - XRG).

In the sprint of a group of four, the Slovenian finally secured the day's victory ahead of Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe), Lenny Martinez (Bahrain - Victorious) and Jörgen Nordhagen (Team Visma | Lease a Bike). Another group reached the finish line 21 seconds later, led by Albert Philipsen (Lidl-Trek).

Pogacar takes the overall lead

The stage was designed as a circuit that led around the start and finish town of Martigny through the Valais. There were three laps, each over the climb to La Rasse (category 3). However, the focus was on the final stage to Ovronnaz: an 8.9-kilometre climb with an average gradient of 9.7 per cent and passages of up to 15 per cent. After the mountain classification, there was a nine-kilometre descent before the remaining 20 kilometres were flat again to the finish.

The day's leader, Dorian Godon (INEOS Grenadiers), dropped back at the start of the climb after his prologue victory the day before. Equally unfortunate for the British team: Oscar Onley (INEOS Grenadiers) did not start the race. The Briton had to abandon the tour due to gastrointestinal complaints.

With his victory, Pogacar took the overall lead. Lipowitz is in second place, seven seconds behind Martinez (+0:16 minutes).

Tour de Romandie 2026 - Results of the 1st stage

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>> Tour de Romandie 2026: Tadej Pogačar - and then?

How the 1st stage of the Tour de Romandie 2016 went

As expected, the first three quarters of the stage were unspectacular on flat terrain. Although Mauro Schmid (Jayco - AlUla), fourth in the prologue the day before, briefly tried to break away from the peloton, the other teams naturally did not allow him to make a move. The leading group of the day was ultimately made up of Patrick Gamper (Jayco-AlUla), Roland Thalmann (Tudor Pro Cycling Team), Sam Oomen (Lidl-Trek), Pietro Mattio (Team Visma | Lease a Bike), Dillon Corkery and Alexy Faure Post (both Team Picnic PostNL) as well as Louis Vervaeke (Soudal-Quick-Step). The latter started the stage just 19 seconds behind leader Godon and virtually led the classification for long stretches.

The group built up a lead of around 3:30 minutes. All three mountain classifications after la Rasse (3rd category) were won by the Swiss rider Thalmann. 74 kilometres before the finish, the leading group was reduced as the Irishman Corkery was no longer able to keep up the pace.

Tadej Pogacar attacks on the climb - Florian Lipowitz follows

At the start of the climb to Ovronnaz, 43 kilometres from the finish, the lead of the remaining breakaway riders was still around two minutes. Almost at the same time, Dorian Godon in the leader's jersey lost contact with the peloton. On the climb, the peloton quickly thinned out due to the high pace of (UAE Team Emirates - XRG). As a result, the riders from the leading group were gradually caught up.

38 kilometres before the finish came the expected attack from Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates - XRG). Primoz Roglic (Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe) went after him first, but was unable to keep up the pace. However, Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe), Lenny Martinez (Bahrain - Victorious) and Jefferson Cepeda (Movistar) then caught up with Pogacar. However, Cepeda dropped out of the group before the summit.

Lipowitz does not lead at the top

Martinez finally secured the mountain classification in Ovronnaz. There were no attacks on the following descent, but Jörgen Nordhagen (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) managed to catch up with the trio on the flat section to the finish. Behind them was an eight-man chasing group led by Carlos Rodríguez (INEOS Grenadiers), Primož Roglič (Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe) and Luke Plapp (Jayco - AlUla).

However, neither the cooperation in the chasing group nor at the front really worked, so that the gap levelled off at around 30 seconds. Lipowitz in particular did not take part in the lead work - one of the reasons why the gap shrank by a few seconds before the finale. However, the group saved their lead to the finish - with victory for Poagacar.