There was little doubt going into the Tour de Suisse that Tadej Pogačar would eventually lay waste to the field, but at least the organizers put the time trial and the only high-mountain stage at the end of the race. It seemed like we would be treated to a few days of stage-hunting intrigue as the puncheurs took to the fore in the early goings before the UAE Team Emirates-XRG leader stamped his authority on the race in the end.
Pogačar must have missed that memo. The world champion put in a massive attack with 70 km still to go on Wednesday's opening stage, soloing to victory and a huge lead in the general classification on the very first day of the race.
"This was definitely not the plan, but somehow it worked, thanks to the teammates I think," Pogačar said. "Without them blocking in the back, setting the pace before, this wouldn't be possible."
Stage 1 was not particularly hard on paper, and neither was the place where Pogačar made his decisive move, an uncategorized approach to the second categorized climb of the race, itself only a Cat. 2. A single breakaway remained a little ways off the front of the bunch when UAE Team Emirates-XRG massed at the head of the peloton in their trademark style, putting Pogačar into position to get a few bonus seconds at the intermediate sprint.
That would only be a prelude to the feature program. Pogačar proceeded to launch a solo strike about 70 km from the finish.
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