Slovenia’s Tadej Pogacar has secured his fifth Tour de France title, equalling the record held by cycling legends Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Indurain. The 27-year-old UAE Team Emirates XRG rider clinched the overall victory on Sunday after safely completing the final stage in Paris, which was won by Mathieu van der Poel.
Pogacar finished the race with a commanding lead of six minutes and 26 seconds over Belgian Remco Evenepoel, a notable time trial specialist who finished second overall. Mexico’s Isaac del Toro, also from Pogacar’s team, rounded out the podium in third place, marking an impressive debut in his first Tour. Pogacar's performance this year included five stage wins, bringing his career total to 26, still short of Mark Cavendish’s record of 35 stage victories.
This victory marks Pogacar’s third consecutive Tour de France win and his fifth overall title in just seven attempts, underscoring his dominance in the sport at a relatively young age. He has won almost 9,500 kilometers in the yellow jersey over the course of his Tour victories and boasts an average speed of nearly 42 km/h, showcasing exceptional endurance and consistency. Pogacar’s record extends beyond the Tour; he also won the 2024 Giro d’Italia and multiple one-day classic races, including Milan-San Remo, Tour of Flanders, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and Giro di Lombardia.
Jonas Vingegaard of Denmark, a two-time Tour winner in 2022 and 2023 and Pogacar’s main rival for much of the race, was forced to abandon the Tour after crashing on Stage 15. Vingegaard had earlier won the Spanish Vuelta and the Giro d’Italia this season but was unable to mount a strong challenge in this Tour’s high mountain stages. His status for upcoming races remains uncertain.
The Tour’s 21st stage was shortened from 133 to 89 kilometers due to security forces being redeployed to assist with wildfires near Bordeaux. The final stage saw van der Poel and Pogacar break away on the climb near Montmartre, with van der Poel ultimately taking a photo-finish win ahead of teammate Jasper Philipsen. This Tour was unique in that no rider from France, Italy, or Spain—countries that host the Grand Tours—won a stage this year, a first in the race’s history.
Young French riders Paul Seixas and Lenny Martinez showed promise, finishing fourth and fifth overall respectively, though they were not able to challenge Pogacar’s dominance. Seixas, only 19, expressed motivation to close the gap between himself and the champion in future races.
Looking ahead, Pogacar is expected to participate in the Vuelta a España, which begins on August 22, aiming to add the one Grand Tour title that has so far eluded him. Meanwhile, the growing rivalry between Pogacar and Evenepoel remains a focal point for the sport, with Evenepoel’s team weighing decisions regarding leadership roles.
Despite widespread admiration for his achievements, some discussion persists around the credibility of serial wins in cycling, given the history of doping in the sport. Notably, both Pogacar and Vingegaard underwent nocturnal doping controls during the Tour, though no further information has been released.
Pogacar’s remarkable string of victories continues to place him among the sport’s all-time greats, with many expecting him to pursue further records in the coming years.