Tadej Pogačar Makes Suisse Debut as Tour de France Approaches

UAE Team Emirates-XRG field a world-class squad ready to tackle the Alps

News | Team –16th June 2026

UAE Team Emirates-XRG head into the Tour de Suisse hungry for more stage racing success. World Champion Tadej Pogačar returns to lead the team on the back of a spectacular start to his 2026 season, with a strong squad behind him and all eyes fixed on the roads of Switzerland.

Known as one of cycling’s most prestigious week-long races, the Tour de Suisse will serve as the final proving ground before the Tour de France, offering cycling fans a last opportunity to see its biggest names go head-to-head before the roads of France beckon. As the rainbow stripes make their Swiss debut, Pogačar arrives not just as favourite, but as a rider who has made the one-week format entirely his own.

Pogačar knows exactly what it takes to win these races. Having not lost a stage race since July 2023, he has consistently produced some of his finer performances across the shorter formats. The UAE team Emirates-XRG leader has already stamped his authority on the 2026 season, winning the Tour de Romandie in emphatic style earlier in the year, and will be looking to carry that momentum into his first ever appearance at this race.

He will be supported by another formidable UAE Team Emirates-XRG outfit. It is a timely boost that trusted lieutenant Tim Wellens has fully recovered from his injury setback to slot back into the stage racing setup. Fellow Slovenian Domen Novak and local hero Felix Großschartner will provide vital support on the hilly terrain, while keeping Pogačar sage and well-positioned in the peloton. Brandon McNulty and Ecuadorian National Champion Jhonatan Narvaez will deliver the crucial mountain assistance when the road steepens and the race reaches its boiling point, with Nils Politt’s engine rounding off an extremely impressive squad.

Pogačar: “Training has gone very well, both individually and as a team, and I’m arriving at the Tour de Suisse feeling strong and motivated. It’s my first time racing here, which makes it even more exciting.

“We’ve had a good block of training done at altitude over the past few weeks, and after watching our teammates racing and doing well at other races, we can’t wait to put our race numbers on and put that work into action.”

Standing in the way of UAE Team Emirates-XRG is another world-class field of contenders, led by fellow countryman and Red Bull Bora-Hansgrohe leader Primož Roglič. The multiple Grand Tour winner will be eager to rediscover his best form as he builds towards his 2026 ambitions.

Briton Tom Pidcock also arrives with something to prove, having pushed Pogačar hard at Milano-Sanremo and backing that up with commanding performances at the Tour of the Alps. Young Italian Antonio Tiberi adds further intrigue, with the Bahrain Victorious rider looking to improve on his UAE Tour runner-up spot from earlier this season.

The race itself unfolds over five stages, and GC contenders will need to be alert from the very first flag drop, with a punchy stage one finish set to suit the more explosive riders in the peloton. Stages two and three are expected to favour the fast men, with the earlier climbs unlikely to fracture the bunch before a sprint finish.

The race truly ignites on stage four, where a 23.8km time trial gives Pogačar the opportunity to put daylight between himself and his rivals. The fifth and final stage then delivers the ultimate test, over 4,000 meters of climbing across four ascents of the Col de la Croix, where Pogačar will look to make his decisive move and seal the crown.

UAE Team Emirates-XRG expect to be firmly at the centre of the action as the race reaches its defining moments, with the objective of isolating rivals and launching their leader at the right time. With the Tour de France looming large on the horizon, Pogačar will be aiming to send an unmistakable message to his rivals and claim his maiden Tour de Suisse title in the process.