Tadej Pogačar made a statement with a winning start into the Tour de Suisse on Wednesday, his last event before he aims for a fifth Tour de France title in July.
Slovenian great Pogačar attacked halfway through the first stage over 144 kilometres around the Italian town of Sondrio to win 2 minutes 14 ahead of Ecuador's Richard Carabar. Italian Andrea Bagioli was third, 2:29 minutes back.
"That was definitely not the plan but it somehow worked out," Pogačar said, thanking his team-mates.
The 89th edition of the Tour de Suisse takes place over five instead of previously eight stages. It concludes on Sunday with a gruelling mountain stage where riders have to cross the Col de la Croix three times.
Other contenders include former world champion Mathieu van der Poel of the Netherlands.
The Tour de France starts on July 4 in Barcelona and runs until July 26. There Pogačar's rivals will include former winner Jonas Vingegaard of Denmark, Germany's Florian Lipowitz and young Frenchman Paul Seixas.
