Pogacar Matches Cycling Legend Status with Fifth Tour Victory
Qwenews.com – At just 27 years old, Tadej Pogacar has cemented his place among cycling’s immortals by capturing a record-tying fifth Tour de France championship. The Slovenian star delivered a commanding performance, utilizing bold mountain assaults from distance, securing numerous stage victories, and displaying remarkable composure throughout the grueling race. His triumph on Sunday places him alongside an elite group: Belgian icon Eddy Merckx, Spanish champion Miguel Indurain, and French legends Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault—all of whom also claimed five Tours.
“I’m speechless. It’s an incredible day, there was an incredible atmosphere,” Pogacar expressed. “I’ve ridden seven Tours already and I’ve always finished on the podium. You might think this is a fairytale, it’s incredible for me too.”
Competing in the thrilling 21st and concluding stage through Paris, Pogacar secured his overall lead by 6 minutes and 26 seconds over Belgian competitor Remco Evenepoel. The Dane Jonas Vingegaard, a two-time Tour champion, had been Pogacar’s primary challenger but suffered a crash on stage 15 that ended his campaign. “Shame that Jonas and others crashed out of this Tour,” Pogacar remarked. “I hope we can all fight again next year.”
UAE Team Emirates XRG’s Isaac Del Toro, a 22-year-old Mexican making his Tour debut, claimed third place at 9 minutes and 42 seconds behind Pogacar. The Slovenian smiled and raised his hand to acknowledge his victories as his teammates gathered around him on the Champs-Élysées. “I don’t know how I do it,” Pogacar said. “I now have to find a new goal to chase. Which goal? Let’s just not jump ahead of ourselves, and enjoy this moment.”
Looking Ahead to Future Challenges
While Pogacar captured the Giro d’Italia in 2024, he has yet to win the Spanish Vuelta, which begins on August 22. When asked about his plans, he responded: “Will I be at La Vuelta in a few weeks? Let’s see.”
This year’s Tour saw Pogacar claim five stage victories, bringing his career total to an impressive 26. In the final stage, he attempted another win but Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel held off the chasing pack on the home straight for his second stage victory of the race and fourth overall.
The 88.7-kilometer (55-mile) final stage looped around Paris and featured more action than typical processional finishes, as previous years had been entirely flat sprint stages. The route was shortened from 133 kilometers, and the starting point moved from Thoiry west of the capital to Paris itself to ease pressure on emergency services dealing with wildfires in southwestern France. Some security personnel originally assigned to Paris were redeployed to assist with firefighting efforts.
The Final Stage Sprint
For the second consecutive year, the stage included the beloved uphill climb through Montmartre—a sharp 1-kilometer dash that riders conquered three times before reaching the Champs-Élysées finish. Even Pogacar found it challenging, unable to match Van der Poel’s explosive power in the closing moments.
Shortly before 6 p.m. local time, Pogacar greeted Evenepoel and Ecuadorian veteran Richard Carapaz at the start line. Carapaz, wearing the polka-dot jersey for best climber, shared: “I battled hard to win this jersey, it was a great fight. It’s the best feeling to win it.”
Van der Poel and Danish sprinter Mads Pedersen, who claimed the green jersey as best sprinter, were among the favorites for the stage victory. Crowds cheered as riders began the first ascent up Rue Lepic in Montmartre, with the iconic Sacré-Coeur basilica visible above them.
Pogacar moved ahead after the second Montmartre climb, with Van der Poel, Evenepoel, and Pedersen riding alongside. Van der Poel launched an attack on the third and final climb, and Pogacar responded strongly. The one-day classics rivals surged ahead together but were caught with 700 meters remaining. After Pogacar faded, the 31-year-old Van der Poel still had work to do, ultimately crossing the line just ahead of Belgian teammate Jasper Philipsen and Pedersen. Pogacar eased up and finished 30th.
“I thought the sprinters would catch us up so I launched (my attack) from very far away,” Van der Poel explained. “I gave everything I had left in my legs and it was just enough.”
Widely regarded as one of cycling’s premier athletes, Van der Poel boasts multiple one-day classics victories, Cyclo-cross world championship titles, and a former world road race championship. His father
