Tadej Pogacar, a 27-year-old Slovenian rider for UAE Team Emirates-XRG, has claimed his fifth Tour de France title, matching the record held by cycling legends Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Indurain. This victory marks his third consecutive win in the prestigious endurance event.
The final stage in Paris saw Dutch rider Mathieu van der Poel of Alpecin-Premier Tech secure a dramatic victory on the Champs-Élysées. Van der Poel outpaced his teammate Jasper Philipsen of Belgium in a sprint finish on the French capital’s cobbled streets.
Pogacar’s Dominance and Record-Equalling Achievement
Pogacar’s latest triumph solidifies his position among cycling’s greatest. He completed the three-week Grand Tour with a significant lead, finishing 6 minutes and 26 seconds ahead of Belgium’s Remco Evenepoel of Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe in the overall standings. Pogacar’s teammate, 22-year-old Mexican Isaac del Toro, secured third place, 9 minutes and 42 seconds behind.
Throughout the race, Pogacar demonstrated his strength, winning five stages. This included a record-breaking ascent of Alpe d’Huez on stage 19, where he sealed another dominant victory. His performances have led some to consider him the greatest cyclist of all time, surpassing the achievements of Eddy Merckx.
Pogacar has achieved 127 wins in his eight-year elite professional career, having won nearly every major race in the sport. His notable victories include the Tour of Flanders, Giro d’Italia, Milan-San Remo, Road World Championships, Giro di Lombardia, and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. He has participated in seven Tours and consistently finished on the podium, with five wins.
Despite his success, Pogacar faced some frustration from fans who felt his dominance reduced the competitive edge of the sport. He expressed gratitude to his family, fans, and team, acknowledging the support that has led to his remarkable achievements.
A notable absence from the top contenders was Denmark’s Jonas Vingegaard, a two-time Tour champion who crashed out on stage 15 after breaking his collarbone. The incident occurred after the 29-year-old Visma-Lease a Bike rider was reportedly woken at 2 a.m. for an anti-doping test by the International Testing Agency (ITA). Other riders, including Pogacar, also underwent early morning tests.
Dramatic Final Stage in Paris
The final stage, traditionally a ceremonial ride for overall contenders, was transformed by organizers ASO. They introduced a circuit featuring a cobbled climb over the city’s Montmartre hill, encouraging more powerful riders to compete for the stage win. The stage was also shortened from 133 km to 89 km due to the redirection of emergency services to combat wildfires in south-west France.
On Sunday, Mathieu van der Poel launched a decisive attack with 11 km remaining, with Pogacar initially joining him. The duo led through the narrow lanes of Montmartre, passing the Sacre-Coeur basilica. However, Pogacar began to fade after three weeks of intense racing, allowing Van der Poel to push ahead.
Van der Poel, known for his strength in one-day races, managed to hold off a rapidly closing chasing pack of sprinters. He crossed the finish line just ahead of his teammate Jasper Philipsen and Denmark’s Mads Pedersen of Lidl-Trek, who secured third place in the stage. Van der Poel’s victory adds to his list of prestigious wins, including multiple titles in Paris-Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders.
The final stage also saw the general classification times frozen before the riders reached the first climb up Montmartre, ensuring the yellow jersey battle was settled before the attacking began. This decision was made despite some discussion, particularly given the circumstances of Isaac Del Toro’s finish.
Other Jersey Winners and Notable Performances
Ecuador’s Richard Carapaz of EF Education-Easypost claimed the king of the mountains’ polka dot jersey. Carapaz, 33, showed strong form in the latter part of the race, winning stage 18 and stage 20 after conquering the race’s highest points and accumulating 5,450 km of climbing.
The green points jersey for the best sprinter was awarded to Denmark’s Mads Pedersen of Lidl-Trek. Pedersen’s tenacious riding on climbs, where he is not typically strongest, allowed him to collect mid-stage points, in addition to winning stage four. He outpaced several sprinters, including Philipsen, who won stage 17, and Belgium’s Tim Merlier of Soudal-Quick Step, who won three bunch sprint stages.
In the year of Britain’s four-time Tour winner Chris Froome‘s retirement, his former team, now known as Netcompany Ineos Cycling, did not achieve a stage victory. Former Ineos rider Tom Pidcock of Pinarello-Q36.5, 26, finished ninth in the general classification, building on his third-place finish in last year’s Vuelta a España. Fellow Briton Adam Yates, 33, demonstrated resilience after falling ill on stage 16, later assisting Pogacar on a climb for victory on stage 19.
Del Toro’s white jersey for the best young rider came at the expense of France’s 19-year-old talent Paul Seixas of Decathlon-CMA CGM, who faded on Saturday’s ‘queen’ stage to Alpe d’Huez. Many observers believe Seixas could become a future rival to Pogacar.
Source: bbc.com
