Tadej Pogačar out-sprinted Florian Lipowitz and Lenny Martinez in Martigny on Wednesday to win Stage 1 of the Tour de Romandie — pulling on the yellow jersey and claiming his fifth victory of a 2026 spring campaign that has already included three Monuments and Strade Bianche.
The Race — Ovronnaz Breaks the Peloton
The 171.2km stage from Martigny looped three circuits over the punchy La Rasse climb before hitting its defining obstacle: Ovronnaz, 8.9km at an average gradient of 9.7%, the sole Cat 1 ascent of the day. The finish line sat 23km beyond the summit — flat valley road all the way back into Martigny — which made going solo a genuine gamble for anyone tempted to try it.
UAE Team Emirates-XRG controlled proceedings throughout, gradually reeling in a seven-man breakaway that had built a three-minute cushion before the roads tilted upward. With 33km remaining, Pogačar launched his first acceleration of the week on the lower slopes of Ovronnaz. Martinez held his wheel initially. Lipowitz lost contact, then clawed his way back as the gradient eased near the summit. The gap never grew large enough to matter — and by the top, a quartet had formed: Pogačar, Lipowitz, Martinez, and Visma-Lease a Bike’s Jørgen Nordhagen, who bridged across over the crest. The four rolled together into the valley and it came down to a sprint.
Pogačar had the fastest legs when it counted. Lipowitz edged Martinez for second, Nordhagen completed the group.
“I think every win is important but to win today, my first stage in a stage race this season, and to do it here in Romandie on a nice parcours — I really enjoyed it. The team did a super good job, so also for this reason I am super happy to take the yellow jersey.” — Tadej Pogačar
On why he didn’t push harder over the summit, Pogačar was candid: “There was no sense trying to drop him because maybe I would explode myself also. After that, there was still a long section in the valley, so I needed to have good legs. I was happy that I decided to keep the pace good to the top. Of course, it was still full gas, but not over the limit.”
GC Standings — Pogačar Seven Seconds Clear
Around 20 seconds after the front four crossed the line, Albert Withen Philipsen led a chase group home that included Primož Roglič — now sixth overall. Luke Tuckwell, also Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, finished in the same group and sits tenth. Roglič had won this race twice before, in 2018 and 2019, but his team’s tactical options were partly shaped by Lipowitz’s strong showing. The German sits second on GC, seven seconds off yellow. Martinez is third at 16 seconds. Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe leads the team classification.
There’s added context to Pogačar’s result. He arrives at this race still carrying the effects of a foot fracture — sustained in a crash at Catalunya — that kept him off the bike for 12 days. “After Catalunya I had a crash and a fracture in the foot — this put me out of training for 12 days. I never thought that I would be at the start line in Romandie. So to be here and also be in the fight for the win is pretty special,” he said. He has now won on his seventh race day of 2026, across Strade Bianche, Milan-San Remo, Tour of Flanders, and Liège-Bastogne-Liège.
His post-finish praise carried a pointed edge: “It was nice to take the win against the youngsters.” Lipowitz — who contributed minimally to pace-making during the valley run-in — was the notable omission from the compliment.
Onley Abandons — INEOS Grenadiers Lose GC Option
INEOS Grenadiers lost their primary GC card before the finish even came into view. Oscar Onley, the English climber who had drawn pre-race attention as an outside contender, abandoned mid-stage alongside teammate Hamish McKenzie due to illness. Tao Geoghegan Hart had already been a DNS. Onley confirmed the withdrawal on Instagram: “Gutted to leave the Tour de Romandie after some kind of stomach bug the last few days. Been a tough start to the season to be honest.”
What’s Next
Stage 2 takes place Thursday. The race concludes with a mountaintop finish at Leysin on Sunday, 3 May. Seventeen classified climbs remain across the final stages — and Pogačar’s seven-second lead over Lipowitz is thin. Roglič sits 20 seconds down, on terrain that historically suits him. With the Giro d’Italia looming for much of the field, racing in Romandie is unlikely to get any quieter.
Stay in the loop
Get the latest cycling events today updates delivered to your inbox.