Pogacar will compete in the Tour de Suisse with a luxury team

Although it had been an open secret for weeks, UAE Team Emirates-XRG has officially announced Tadej Pogacar's participation in the 2026 Tour of Switzerland and revealed the strong team that will accompany the reigning world champion in his last race before the Tour de France.

Tadej Pogacar now has a team for the Tour of Switzerland: UAE confirms a luxury lineup for his final test before the Tour de France

The Swiss round, which will take place from June 17 to 21 in a reduced format of five stages, will serve as the last major competitive test for Pogacar before he attempts to conquer his fifth Tour de France in July and continue to expand his legend.

Pogacar will debut in the Tour of Switzerland

Despite being one of the most dominant riders of his generation, Pogacar has never competed in the Tour of Switzerland. The Slovenian will face this race for the first time after a season in which he has already made his mark in Swiss territory thanks to his performance in the Tour of Romandy, where he won the general classification and four stages.

After several weeks of high-altitude training in Sierra Nevada, the UAE leader assures he is arriving in excellent condition.

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“The training has gone very well, both individually and as a team, and I arrive at the Tour of Switzerland feeling strong and motivated. It’s my first time racing here, which makes it even more exciting,” Pogacar explained in statements provided by UAE Team Emirates-XRG.

“After a few good weeks of high-altitude work and seeing our teammates compete and do well in other races, we are very eager to put on the number and bring that work to competition.”

The Tour of Switzerland is also one of the few major week-long stage races that still does not appear in the Slovenian's palmarès, alongside Itzulia.

A UAE team filled with top-level domestiques

The Emirati formation has spared no resources to surround their leader. Pogacar will be accompanied by several of the men who are expected to be part of his block for the Tour de France.

Among them, the return of Brandon McNulty stands out, as he returns to competition after abandoning Itzulia last April. Also present will be two of the Slovenian's most loyal mountain domestiques, Felix Großschartner and Domen Novak, both of whom were present in Pogacar's recent victory in Romandy.

Another notable presence will be Tim Wellens. The Belgian champion has only raced once this season with Pogacar after missing a good part of the classics due to a collarbone fracture suffered in Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne. The veteran rider is again aiming to be part of the UAE's eight for the Tour de France.

The lineup is completed with Nils Politt, who will face his tenth consecutive Tour in July, and Jhonatan Narváez, winner of three stages in the 2026 Giro d'Italia and one of the team's most in-form riders this season.

UAE seeks its third consecutive Tour of Switzerland

UAE Team Emirates-XRG also arrives with the intention of extending a streak of successes that has already lasted two editions. The team won the general classification in 2024 with Adam Yates and repeated the triumph in 2025 thanks to João Almeida.

During that period, the Emirati formation also accumulated seven stage victories, confirming its recent dominance in a race that this year will once again bring together several of the great stars of the international peloton.

Among Pogacar's main rivals will be riders such as Primož Roglič, Tom Pidcock, and Mathieu van der Poel, in an edition that promises to be one of the major attractions of the calendar before the Tour de France.

UAE Team Emirates-XRG for the Tour of Switzerland 2026

1. Tadej Pogačar
2. Tim Wellens
3. Felix Großschartner
4. Brandon McNulty
5. Domen Novak
6. Nils Politt
7. Jhonatan Narváez