Godon raises game to win Romandie stage, with key revenge over Pogacar
Dorian Godon outsprinted Finn Fisher-Black to win the Tour of Romandie stage as Tadej Pogacar kept the overall lead.
A late burst of speed turned frustration into fireworks for Dorian Godon in Romandie on Friday.
Godon, aiming to answer being caught at the line the day before, surged to victory on the third stage of the Tour of Romandie.. Tadej Pogacar had dominated the first two stages, and on this 176.6km route starting and ending in Orbe the Slovenian finished fourth while retaining control of the overall standings.
This time, Godon was well positioned at the end of the circuit when he decided not to wait. As Pogacar came into the closing moments, Godon accelerated and carried his momentum all the way to the line.
The difference from Thursday was timing and nerve. In a race where margins are thin, choosing the right moment to strike can be as important as raw speed.
Finn Fisher-Black, who took third the previous day, claimed second place in the sprint, with Valentin Paret-Peintre rounding out the podium. Godon also had to survive the day’s long climb, losing contact about 32 kilometres from the finish before his Ineos teammates brought him back into contention.
Afterwards, Godon described the stage as tough and credited the collective effort that got him from the climb back to the front. He said he was “dead at the end,” but that the final stretch gave him the edge he needed.
That kind of team rescue matters because it keeps a rider’s options open for the finish. When a leader loses contact, the rest of the squad becomes the bridge between the hardest kilometres and the decisive sprint.
For Godon, it was his second win in Romandie and the 21st victory of his career. He had already won the prologue, but Pogacar had responded by taking the next two stages, including a moment the day before when the Slovenian caught him at the finish.
Friday’s outcome shifted the story back toward Godon. He said his earlier loss in stage two left him thinking about revenge going into Thursday, only for Pogacar to thwart it again before. This time, Godon attacked Fisher-Black with a decisive late burst rather than waiting for a longer fight.
The overall classification remained unchanged, with Pogacar leading Florian Lipowitz by 17 seconds and Lenny Martinez by 26 seconds.. Saturday is the “queen stage,” featuring four major climbs over 149.6km from Broc to Charmey, and the way the race is readied for that day will likely determine whether Pogacar’s jersey holds under pressure.
Meanwhile, Pogacar sounded calm about the prospect of another push, stressing first the priority of keeping the lead, then seeing what is possible on the stage. For Godon, this win is a statement that he has the finishing answer when the race compresses and the decision comes late.