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Pogacar Soloes to Dominant Opening Win at Tour of Switzerland

A long-range attack made possible by aggressive team pacing suggests Pogacar is race-ready for the Tour de France.

Overview

  • Pogacar rode away with roughly 71.5 km to go, caught breakaway Fredik Dversnes and finished alone, 2 minutes 14 seconds ahead of Richard Carapaz.
  • UAE Team Emirates set a hard early tempo through riders such as Nils Politt and Tim Wellens, which softened the race and enabled Pogacar's long-range move.
  • Most other overall contenders lost more than four minutes on the stage, and Pogacar said the solo was "definitely not the plan" while crediting his teammates.
  • Observers warned the result should be read with caution because many of his principal Tour de France rivals were not competing in Switzerland.
  • On the next stage Pogacar extended his overall lead to 2 minutes 50 seconds over Carapaz despite not winning the day, and his partner was taken to hospital after a separate crash.