Tadej Pogacar awoke in Paris on Monday as the youngest and fastest cyclist to secure five Tour de France victories. The 27-year-old Slovenian athlete clinched his fifth title on the Champs-Élysées on Sunday evening, following an exhilarating final stage won by Mathieu van der Poel.
Pogacar’s achievement places him in the elite company of cycling legends such as Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Induráin, and he is expected to continue competing in pursuit of a groundbreaking sixth victory.
His mother, Marjeta, commented on her son’s future in cycling, stating, “He will stop when it’s no longer enjoyable for him.” When asked how long he might maintain his current performance level, she responded, “Maybe ten years – we shall see.”
The French press largely celebrated Pogacar’s accomplishments, with L’Équipe praising his entry into the “club of five,” while Le Figaro characterized him as “untouchable, implacable, and unyielding.”
Pogacar’s résumé is indeed impressive. His list of achievements arguably surpasses that of Merckx, with only the Paris-Roubaix and the Vuelta a España, starting in Monaco on August 22, remaining on his list of unclaimed titles.
The statistics highlight Pogacar’s dominance as a Tour champion. Across the 16,911 kilometers he has covered during his five victories, he wore the yellow jersey for nearly 9,500 kilometers. This is particularly remarkable considering he took the lead in his inaugural Tour win in 2020 on the penultimate day of the competition.
As the youngest cyclist to achieve five Tour victories, Pogacar completed his races in just under 404 hours, while Anquetil needed nearly 613. Pogacar’s average speed of 41.99 km/h is the fastest among all five-time winners, and he has also claimed more mountain stage victories. These statistics reflect advancements in technology, gear, and athlete capabilities, alongside shorter stages, more rest days, and fewer time trials in the Tour.
While Pogacar and his UAE Emirates XRG team thrived, with Isaac del Toro finishing third alongside him on the Paris podium, other teams faced challenges. The dominant UAE Emirates XRG team earned €832,750 (approximately £712,000) in prize money, in contrast to the Picnic PostNL team, which received €12,770.
French cyclists had a varied experience this year. For the third time in Tour history, no stages were won by local riders; however, three French competitors—Paul Seixas, Lenny Martinez, and Jordan Jegat—managed to finish in the top ten.
Seixas, at just 19 years old, represents the future of French cycling. Despite starting the Tour recovering from a crash in June and battling a cold, he expressed disappointment at finishing fourth in the overall standings. “I was hoping to make the podium in Paris, as the gap between Del Toro and myself was minimal,” he admitted. “But the difference between me and Pogacar is significant.”
“Nonetheless, this experience is motivating and inspiring. I now have a clear vision of what I need to do to move closer to my dream of winning the Tour,” he concluded.
Pogacar is anticipated to announce his participation in the Vuelta, while the future plans of his long-time rival Jonas Vingegaard, who exited the Tour after a crash on the same day he was subjected to a 2 a.m. doping control, remain uncertain.
The nocturnal doping tests administered by the International Testing Agency have sparked considerable speculation, although no results have been disclosed. Le Figaro noted that while acknowledging Pogacar’s remarkable achievement, the scrutiny surrounding any serial winner means that maintaining credibility for both the Tour and Pogacar presents a “challenge greater than any record.”
