Slovenian star Tadej Pogacar, who has held the overall lead in the Tour de Romandie since winning the opening stage on Wednesday, claimed victory again on Thursday in the second stage at Vucherens, Switzerland. He outpaced French rider Dorian Godon in a sprint finish.
Godon’s team, Ineos Grenadiers, executed a masterful effort to set up the French champion for the final sprint, with German rider Florian Lipowitz launching the attack.
However, Pogacar, who initially appeared to be boxed in, emerged to edge past Godon by a narrow margin. The win earned him a 10-second time bonus, strengthening his overall lead over Lipowitz and Frenchman Lenny Martinez.
The 79th edition of the Tour de Romandie continues on Friday with a 176.6-kilometer third stage around Orbe. Saturday features the queen stage, a mountainous route finishing in Broc-Charmey, followed by the final stage on Sunday, which includes an ascent to Leysin.