Cycling star Tadej Pogacar also demonstrated his top form for the Tour de France in the fight against the clock.
The world champion from the UAE Emirates-XRG team won the individual time trial of the fourth stage of the Tour de Suisse. In a thriller of a hundredths for victory, the Slovenian prevailed against his classic rival Mathieu van der Poel and is about to win the Swiss Tour for the first time on his debut.
Pogacar needed 26:37.99 minutes to cover the 23.7 predominantly flat kilometers in Aarburg. After his solo success at the start, he celebrated his second victory of the day.
The Dutchman van der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech) came in second place, just 31 hundredths of a second behind. Former time trial world champion Tobias Foss (+0:06 minutes/Netcompany Ineos) from Norway came third. Nils Politt, Pogacar’s important helper, was the best German in 14th place (+0:43).
Gap in Pogacar’s title collection will probably soon be closed
Pogacar, who is taking part in his dress rehearsal for the Tour of France (July 4th to 26th), even overtook his pursuer Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost), who started in front of him, and extended his lead in the overall standings by around a minute and a half.
Before the last stage on Sunday, the 27-year-old is 4:22 minutes ahead of Tokyo Olympic champion Carapaz from Ecuador. With success in Switzerland, Pogacar would close another gap in his title collection.
The final of the Tour de Suisse over 150.7 kilometers takes place on Pogacar terrain. The Col de la Croix has to be conquered a total of three times, at the beginning of the section the upper half of the climb awaits and at the end the lower half of the climb.
Pogacar returned to racing after his victory at the Tour de Romandie at the beginning of May to prepare for the Tour after an outstanding spring season. At the Grand Loop, which starts on July 4th in Barcelona, the 27-year-old can catch up with the record winners with his fifth victory.