Tadej Pogacar secures fifth Tour de France title, joining cycling legends
Pogacar’s Dominance in the Tour de France
Tadej Pogacar, riding for UAE Team Emirates-XRG, has secured his fifth Tour de France title, placing him alongside cycling legends Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Indurain as a five-time winner. His victory marks his third consecutive win in the event.
The Slovenian rider’s path to victory in the 2026 race was characterised by an early and decisive move. On stage six, high above the ski village of La Mongie, Pogacar launched an attack on the Col du Tourmalet, dislodging rivals such as Jonas Vingegaard. This move established a lead that proved insurmountable for the rest of the race.
Former FDJ United manager Marc Madiot commented on Pogacar’s performance, stating that there was only one rider who attacked in this Tour, and once he did, the outcome was clear. This dominant display led to a lack of suspense for the overall yellow jersey competition, with the focus shifting to other classifications like the green jersey won by Mads Pedersen and the polka dot jersey claimed by Richard Carapaz.
A Unique Champion Among Five-Time Winners
Pogacar’s achievement is notable not only for the number of wins but also for the manner in which they were achieved. Unlike previous five-time winners, his progress to the record books was described as serene, without significant setbacks or challenges that threatened his victory. Speculation about minor issues, such as a potential switch to black shorts in the final week, did not amount to the kind of major incidents faced by other champions.
For instance, Hinault dealt with a broken nose in the final week of his fifth win, while Merckx endured an open wound throughout the 1974 race. Even Anquetil faced a close challenge from Raymond Poulidor in 1964, benefiting from a puncture suffered by his rival in a critical time trial. Pogacar’s consistent performance throughout the race sets him apart in this elite group.
His success has led many to consider him among the greatest cyclists of all time, potentially surpassing the achievements of figures like Merckx. Pogacar has accumulated 127 wins in his eight-year professional career, including victories in major races such as the Tour of Flanders, Giro d’Italia, Milan-San Remo, Road World Championships, Giro di Lombardia, and Liege-Bastogne-Liege.
Final Stage Drama and Future Prospects
The final stage of the Tour de France concluded with a dramatic finish on the Champs-Elysees. The stage, which featured a circuit including a cobbled climb over Montmartre hill, was won by the Netherlands’ Mathieu van der Poel of Alpecin-Premier Tech. Van der Poel charged away with 11km remaining, with Pogacar initially following before fading in the closing moments.
Van der Poel managed to stay ahead of a chasing pack, securing a prestigious victory. The stage itself was reduced from 133km to 89km due to the redirection of emergency services to address wildfires in south-west France.
Pogacar’s victory was not without some assistance to his team. He notably aided his UAE Team Emirates-XRG teammate, Isaac del Toro, who finished third overall and secured the white jersey for the best young rider. Del Toro’s position was consolidated partly due to Pogacar’s pacing on the ‘queen’ stage to Alpe d’Huez.
Looking ahead, Pogacar’s only previous rival to break his dominance in the Tour was Jonas Vingegaard, who won in 2022 and 2023 but abandoned this year’s race due to a broken collarbone. Remco Evenepoel of Red Bull-Bora-Hansgohe finished second overall, 6 minutes 26 seconds behind Pogacar. Young riders like Paul Seixas are also seen as potential future rivals to Pogacar.
Pogacar expressed his gratitude, stating that his five wins in seven Tours, with seven podium finishes, felt like something out of a storybook. He also wished a quick recovery to riders like Jonas Vingegaard who crashed out, hoping for future competition.
The final general classification after stage 21 saw Tadej Pogacar in first place with a time of 73 hours 56 minutes 26 seconds.
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Source: theguardian.com
