Tadej Pogačar clinches stage win and overall victory at 2026 Tour de Suisse
Slovenian rider Tadej Pogačar secured the fifth stage and the general classification title in the men's 2026 Tour de Suisse, extending his lead over Richard Carapaz.
Tadej Pogačar (UAD) finished the fifth stage of the 2026 Tour de Suisse in Villars-sur-Ollon and sealed the overall win, completing a three-stage victory tally. He crossed the line ahead of Lenny Martinez (TBV), who arrived seven seconds later, while Bart Lemmen (TVL) took third on the day. Pogačar's overall time of 15:08'43" left him 4 minutes 22 seconds ahead of second-placed Richard Carapaz (EFE), with Matthias Vacek (LTK) another 31 seconds further back.
The decisive stage featured over 4,000 metres of climbing, including three ascents of the Col de la Croix, and temperatures reached the high 30s Celsius. Martinez led the breakaway for much of the day, earning the King of the Mountains points on the climb, but Pogačar closed the gap in the final kilometres, overtaking the leaders within the last kilometre.
"Pogačar accelerated in the final 800 metres and caught Martinez, securing the stage win," said a race official.
Other notable results included Louis Vervaeke (SOQ) winning the green KOM jersey and several riders abandoning due to the heat and difficulty of the course. The race concluded with Pogačar confirmed as the undisputed favorite for the upcoming Tour de France.