The Slovenian cyclist joins an elite group of champions
Tadej Pogacar began the week in Paris as the youngest cyclist to win five Tour de France titles after securing his latest overall victory on Sunday evening. The 27-year-old Slovenian claimed his fifth championship on the Champs Élysées following a dramatic final stage won by Mathieu van der Poel.
Pogacar now shares the record for five Tour de France victories with cycling legends Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Induráin. He is expected to continue competing with the goal of becoming the first rider to win six titles.
A career already considered among cycling’s greatest
Pogacar’s mother, Marjeta, said her son would continue racing as long as he still enjoyed the sport. When asked how many more years he could compete at his current level, she suggested he could continue for another decade.
French media widely praised Pogacar’s achievement, with L’Équipe highlighting his place among cycling’s elite five-time winners, while Le Figaro described him as “untouchable, implacable and unbending”.
His list of achievements is already considered one of the most complete in cycling history. The only major victories missing from his record are Paris-Roubaix and the Vuelta a España, which begins in Monaco on August 22.
Historic dominance across five Tour victories
Statistics underline Pogacar’s dominance. Across the 16,911 kilometres he has completed during his five Tour victories, he has spent nearly 9,500 kilometres wearing the yellow jersey.
He became the youngest rider among the five-time champions and achieved his victories in less than 404 hours of racing, compared with nearly 613 hours required by Anquetil.
Pogacar’s average speed of 41.99 kilometres per hour is the fastest among riders with five Tour victories, and he has also won more mountain stages than the other members of the group.
These comparisons reflect changes in cycling, including improvements in technology, equipment and athlete preparation, as well as shorter stages, additional rest days and fewer time trials in modern Tours.
UAE Emirates XRG dominates team rankings
Pogacar’s UAE Emirates XRG team also enjoyed a successful Tour, with Isaac del Toro joining him on the Paris podium after finishing third overall.
The team collected €832,750 in prize money, significantly more than the Picnic PostNL team, which earned €12,770.
French riders show promise despite mixed results
French cyclists experienced mixed fortunes during the race. For only the third time in Tour history, no French rider won a stage, but three home riders finished inside the top 10: Paul Seixas, Lenny Martinez and Jordan Jegat.
Seixas, considered one of France’s brightest future talents, finished fourth overall at just 19 years old. Although disappointed after narrowly missing the podium, he said competing against Pogacar had motivated him to continue improving.
Next challenges for Pogacar
Pogacar is expected to confirm his participation in the upcoming Vuelta a España. Meanwhile, the future plans of his long-time rival Jonas Vingegaard remain uncertain after he crashed out of the Tour.
Both riders were subject to overnight doping controls by the International Testing Agency, which generated speculation among fans and media, although no results have been announced.
Despite Pogacar’s historic achievement, questions about credibility continue to surround dominant champions in cycling. As Le Figaro noted, maintaining trust in both the Tour de France and Pogacar remains a challenge greater than any record.
