Tadej Pogacar strikes immediately on the roads of the Tour de Romandie. The world champion won the opening stage - 171.2 km with start and finish in Martigny - outsprinting his breakaway companions Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull Bora Hansgrohe), Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious) and Jørgen Nordhagen (Visma Lease a Bike).
The decisive move came 37 kilometers from the finish, initiated by Pogacar and Martinez themselves, with Lipowitz and Cepeda joining them first, followed by Nordhagen. Cepeda then lost contact and the four attackers worked together until two kilometers from the finish, when they all found themselves on Pogacar's wheel.
The world champion tried several times to let himself be overtaken and to get out of the most uncomfortable position, succeeding only at the final corner when Nordhagen moved to the front, but this was enough for the Slovenian to launch his attack, win the sprint quite comfortably and also secure the leader's jersey in the general classification.
With a gap of 21 seconds, Danish rider Whitten Pedersen controlled the chasing group, which also included Antonio Tiberi in seventh place and Lorenzo Fortunato in seventeenth.
FINISHING ORDER
1. Pogacar Tadej (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) in 03:56:55
2. Lipowitz Florian (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe)
3. Martinez Lenny (Bahrain Victorious)
4. Nordhagen Jørgen (Team Visma | Lease a Bike)
5. Withen Philipsen Albert (Lidl-Trek) + 21
6. Higuita Sergio (XDS Astana Team)
7. Tiberi Antonio (Bahrain Victorious)
8. Lecerf Junior (Soudal Quick-Step)
9. Plapp Luke (Team Jayco-AlUla)
10. Cepeda Jefferson (Movistar Team)