Pogacar brings the excitement, but Romain Grégoire wins stage 2 of the Tour of Switzerland from the breakaway

The second stage of the 2026 Tour of Switzerland left the first big surprise of the race. After Tadej Pogacar's recital on the opening day, the peloton could not control a large breakaway, and the victory ended up going to the Frenchman Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ United), who was the fastest in the reduced group that resisted the world champion's pursuit on the streets of Locarno.

Romain Grégoire surprises Pogacar and wins in Locarno after a perfect day for the breakaway

The stage, measuring 157.7 kilometers with a start and finish in Locarno and more than 2,000 meters of accumulated elevation gain, was marked from the first kilometers by a quality breakaway formed by up to fourteen riders. Among them were notable names such as Romain Grégoire, Bart Lemmen, Filippo Zana, Finlay Pickering, Emiel Verstrynge, Marcel Camprubí, and Afonso Eulálio.

UAE Team Emirates-XRG initially allowed the breakaway some margin, aware that none posed a real threat to the general classification. However, as the day progressed, the gap grew to over two and a half minutes, forcing Pogacar's team to take on the chase.

Tim Wellens and Nils Politt worked for much of the afternoon to reduce the breakaway's advantage, while the route became tougher with the two decisive climbs located in the last twenty kilometers.

RECOMENDADO

Counter-steering, braking, and tracing: the basics for improving your curve handling

Pogacar sweeps away all his rivals with a 70-kilometer solo breakaway to kick off the 2026 Tour de Suisse

AURA N3X FL: Here's How the First Foam-Free Cycling Pad on the Market Works

Tour de Suisse 2026: Dates, Favorites, and Schedule

The Pinarello DOGMA F debuts four new finishes

"His health comes first": Wout van Aert will not be at the 2026 Tour de France

Pogacar goes on the attack

The race exploded definitively on the climb to Fanghi. Richard Carapaz was one of the first to make a move among the favorites, but Pogacar responded without problems and soon decided to take the reins of the chase himself.

The Slovenian increased the pace at the front of the main group and later launched an attack alongside his teammate Jhonatan Narváez. Mathias Vacek was the only rider able to follow his wheel for several kilometers.

Up front, the breakaway began to fragment. Afonso Eulálio caused an initial selection that left Emiel Verstrynge, Filippo Zana, Romain Grégoire, Marcel Camprubí, Finlay Pickering, and Bart Lemmen at the front.

While Pogacar pushed himself to the limit to try to close the gap, Narváez eventually gave in, and only Vacek managed to stay with the race leader.

The breakaway holds on by seconds

With ten kilometers to go, the six survivors of the breakaway still held around half a minute over Pogacar and Vacek. The advantage was gradually reduced, but the collaboration among the breakaway riders proved sufficient to reach the final meters with a decisive lead.

In the final stretch, Grégoire showed he was the strongest and launched a powerful sprint that no one could respond to. The Frenchman thus achieved one of the most important victories of his career ahead of Marcel Camprubí and Bart Lemmen.

Pogacar crossed the finish line just four seconds later alongside Vacek, avoiding significant losses in the general classification but unable to replicate the display from the previous day.

Top 10 of stage 2 Tour of Switzerland 2026

1. Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ United) – 3:26:25
2. Marcel Camprubí (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team) – at 0 s
3. Bart Lemmen (Visma | Lease a Bike) – at 0 s
4. Filippo Zana (Soudal Quick-Step) – at 0 s
5. Finlay Pickering (Jayco AlUla) – at 2 s
6. Mathias Vacek (Lidl-Trek) – at 4 s
7. Emiel Verstrynge (Alpecin-Deceuninck) – at 4 s
8. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) – at 4 s
9. Afonso Eulálio (Bahrain Victorious) – at 9 s
10. Jhonatan Narváez (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) – at 32 s

After this second day, Pogacar maintains a privileged position in the general classification following his spectacular first stage.

Top 10 General Classification of the Tour of Switzerland 2026 after stage 2

1. Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) – 6:55:06
2. Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) – at 2:50
3. Andrea Bagioli (Lidl-Trek) – at 3:07
4. Mathias Vacek (Lidl-Trek) – at 4:16
5. Finlay Pickering (Jayco AlUla) – at 4:41
6. Ilan Van Wilder (Soudal Quick-Step) – at 4:44
7. Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) – at 4:44
8. Wilco Kelderman (Visma | Lease a Bike) – at 4:44
9. Matthew Riccitello (Decathlon CMA CGM) – at 5:11
10. Jhonatan Narváez (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) – at 5:12