The stage was hard from start to finish, with an early breakaway staying clear for a long time. Team Visma | Lease a Bike was also represented there with Pietro Mattio. On the climbs, including three passages over La Rasse, the peloton was gradually thinned out. In the lead-up to the finale, the breakaway was eventually caught and the race exploded on the final climb to Ovronnaz, where Tadej Pogačar took control alongside Florian Lipowitz and Lenny Martinez. Nordhagen kept fighting on the climb and remained within reach of the attackers. On the descent, he reduced the gap to around five seconds before bridging across to the three leaders.

After an exciting finale with an elite group at the front, Nordhagen eventually crossed the line in fourth place. After the stage, he was satisfied with his performance: “This was a climb that really suited me today and I was really looking forward to it. It was a great opportunity to show myself. In the end, everything came together and I’m really grateful for the team around me and all the support.”

Nordhagen also looked ahead to the coming days: “I hope to stay with the best riders over the next few days and see how the legs respond towards the end of the week. It’s obviously a very demanding race.”

There is also confidence within the team heading into the next stages. “We’re in a good position with Jørgen at the moment and today has once again confirmed that his form is there. There are still some tough days ahead in this Tour de Romandie, but we certainly believe in a strong overall result. As a team, we will do everything we can to support him in the upcoming stages,” said sports director Gaëtan Pons.