Sawt Falasteen - Pogacar ends dominant Tour of Romandie with fourth win

After a watchful ride on the closing 178.2-kilometre final stage from Lucens, Pogacar, competing in the Swiss race for the first time, pounced at the finish.

When his closest challenger Florian Lipowitz attacked on the final long climb to Leysin, Pogacar clung to the German's wheel and surged clear in the final 400m to win by three seconds.

A second Slovenian, Primoz Roglic was third at seven seconds.

"It was a tough day," said Pogacar.

"Florian attacked first and I did a really good job to survive on his wheel," he said.

"Then I went very early on the final and... phew, I finished the job on the line."

The winning time bonus gave Pogacar, who rides for UAE, a final overall margin of 42 seconds over Lipowitz of Red Bull-Bora.

Frenchman Lenny Martinez of Bahrain Victorious was third at 2 minutes 44 seconds.

Pogacar also won the points classification, far ahead of French sprinter Dorian Godon who won the prologue and the third sate. Pogacar won the other four.

"Every race is important," Pogacar said. "It's important to win and finish off the job of the team."

This was the first stage race of the season for Pogacar, who is beginning his build up to defend his title at the three-week Tour de France, which begins on July 4.

The world champion had put on two kilos of muscle as he focused on explosive power for the demands of the one-day spring season when he won four classics in five attempts, failing only at Paris-Roubaix where he was second to Wout van Aert.

H.Darwish--SF-PST