UAE Team Emirates-XRG emerge the winners for the fourth time this week, with Pogačar taking the general classification in the 89th edition
June 21, 2026
On the punishing slopes of Villars-sur-Ollon, Tadej Pogačar rode to his third stage win of the week in Switzerland, with the Slovenian sealing the overall Tour de Suisse title.
For the UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider, the race is another addition to his palmarès, which now counts six of cycling’s ‘big seven’ stage races. Only Itzulia Basque Country is left to claim for Pogačar, who has recently won the Tour de Romandie and the Tour de Suisse as his build-up to the Tour de France continues.
The Tour de Suisse has been a memorable one for UAE Team Emirates-XRG, with the Emirati squad taking four of the race’s five stages, through Pogačar and his teammate Jhonatan Narváez. In addition to Pogačar’s victory in the general classification, the 27-year-old’s teammate Brandon McNulty also finished the week in sixth overall.
Stage 5 offered Pogačar a final opportunity to make clear his authority in the leader’s jersey, and the world champion did not pass up the chance. Despite a strong breakaway heading up the road, Pogačar refused to relinquish his ambitions on a third stage win.
As the likes of Nairo Quintana (Movistar), Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious) and Paul Double (Jayco AlUla) butted heads in the breakaway, Pogačar’s UAE Team Emirates-XRG squad went to work at the front of the peloton. Little by little, the gap to the front was reduced, and with the help of Decathlon CMA CGM, the breakaway was within touching distance at the bottom of the final climb.
There was still work for Pogačar to do, however, who went on the attack with 8.2km to go. His gap from the front of the race was around a minute, and the Slovenian rode past dropped riders as the kilometres to go ticked down. As the sun shone in Switzerland, so too did Pogačar in the yellow leader’s jersey.
In the end, only Lenny Martinez stood between the world champion and a third stage win of the week, and the Frenchman could only resist Pogačar’s might for so long. With a little over a kilometre to ride, Pogačar snapped at the heels of Martinez, and immediately launched an attack over the top of the Bahrain Victorious rider.
The move was enough to see Pogačar go alone, with the 27-year-old crossing the line some seven seconds ahead of Martinez at the summit. The victory secured Pogačar’s win overall, taken with an advantage of over six and a half minutes to his nearest competitor. Now with 121 wins in his palmarès, the UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider can look ahead to the Tour de France full of confidence.
Pogačar: “It was a super hard day. The parcours was really tough and with the team, we did a super job. It was getting harder and harder every lap that we did, and in the end, it was an all-out effort. Decathlon was also trying to do a big pace in the last climb, so I just tried to continue and keep with this pace to the top. It was a brutal day today, and also super hot, so I am happy to take the win, also the GC, and now I can go back home to Urška.
“It was good on the final climb. With this heat, this is likely how it will look at the Tour de France, and so much elevation before. So it was really good to test the legs, the heart, and the lungs on the final climb. I went all out, and it was really hard, but actually a nice climb.
“Now it is time to reset a little bit at home, do a bit of specific training, and we are off to Barcelona very soon for the Tour de France.”
Tour de Suisse 2026 stage 5 results:
- Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) 26:38
- Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious) +7″
- Bart Lemmen (Visma-Lease a Bike) +1:33
Tour de Suisse 2026 final general classification after stage 5:
- Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) 15:08:43
- Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) +6:32
- Mathias Vacek (Lidl-Trek) +6:53
