Tadej Pogacar rode to his fifth Tour de France victory. © ANSA / GUILLAUME HORCAJUELO

Outstanding and insatiable: Pogacar wins Tour de France

Tadej Pogacar has secured his fifth overall victory in the Tour de France. He cruised through Paris on Sunday as a celebrated sports superstar.

July 26, 2026

From: apa/dpa

The 27-year-old Slovenian from UAE Team Emirates finished the three-week Tour de France with a clear lead of 6:26 minutes over Belgian Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel. His triumph was already secured before the end of the final stage on Sunday, which included the Champs-Élysées and the climbs to Montmartre in Paris, as the timing for the general classification was stopped 48 kilometers from the finish.

This meant that even the top stars could fully attack on the cobblestone course. The final stage, featuring the two Austrians Felix Großschartner and Marco Haller, was reduced from the original 133 kilometers to 89 kilometers due to the severe forest fires near Bordeaux and took place entirely in the French capital.

Emergency personnel have been withdrawn to help fight fires.

Even before the Tour de France began, the competition's hopes of a potentially weakening Pogacar were muted. And the "man-eater," as France's sports bible L'Equipe admiringly described him, was once again untouchable in the 113th edition of the Tour. With solo victories and spectacular climbs in the mountains, new records, but also doping controls at 5:00 a.m. and boos from the roadside for Pogacar, the cycling spectacle unfolded.

Even before the final act, the legendary Eddy Merckx had welcomed the exceptional talent into the exquisite circle of five-time winners, alongside the two Frenchmen Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault, and the Spaniard Miguel Indurain. According to Merckx, Pogacar will soon surpass them all. "I don't think he'll be content with just equaling my record and the other champions'. He'll soon break our record for Tour de France victories," the 81-year-old Belgian confidently stated.

The Tour de France caravan rolled through the streets of Paris for the final stage. © APA/afp / GEOFFROY VAN DER HASSELT

Pogacar had already triumphed in 2020, 2021, 2024, and 2025. In the mountains, it was once again a "Mission Impossible" for the competition, as Evenepoel admitted. When the world champion attacked, his rivals could only watch in admiration. This was evident in his masterpiece as he climbed the 21 switchbacks up to the cycling mecca of Alpe d'Huez, where Pogacar made up three and a half minutes on a strong breakaway group.

"I'm not interested in records." Tadej pogacar

With that, he also shattered Marco Pantani's 31-year-old record. 35:26 minutes for the 13,8-kilometer final climb, an average speed of more than 23 km/h, 1:24 minutes faster than the Italian legend in 1995 – for many experts, an inhuman performance. Pogacar had already set a new best time on the Col du Tourmalet in the Pyrenees. "Records don't interest me, it's about the win," Pogacar said modestly. Similarly, he didn't want to overstate his four other stage wins this year.

Pogacar has now racked up 26 Tour de France stage wins. Had he not also supported his teammate Isaac Del Toro, who finished third in the stage, he would likely have even more. Only former sprint star Mark Cavendish (35), Merckx (34), and Hinault (28) have more. If the 27-year-old continues at this pace, the record could fall in just two years. "I don't feel like I've gotten significantly stronger since 2024. But I have more experience; small things are still improving. It's the details that matter," said Pogacar.

Team manager: "Aura like Federer"

“Pogi has become a global personality,” raved his team manager Mauro Gianetti: “He has the aura, the charisma, the appeal of a Roger Federer. He is an icon.” The man from Komenda now also strongly represents the interests of the peloton. For example, after the fateful crash of his rival Jonas Vingegaard, who fell on stage 15 following a night-time doping control and suffered a broken collarbone.
Pogacar suspected there might be a connection. Like Vingegaard, Pogacar was also subjected to nighttime checks. This was an unprecedented procedure in France, authorized by a Parisian court. Naturally, suspicions arose in the face of such remarkable events.

Tadej Pogacar celebrated his Tour de France victory. © ANSA / YOAN VALAT

Pogacar's dominance isn't to everyone's liking. Even on the sidelines, the insatiable rider has occasionally been met with boos. "That only makes us stronger," Pogacar countered. "When someone boos me, I think of Novak Djokovic and let him inspire me." The Serbian tennis star also has his detractors. However, Pogacar noted that 99 percent of people have a positive view of him. Thus, the cycling star, who is under contract with UAE Team Emirates until 2030, can tackle his next goals. The Vuelta a España is being mentioned; the Spanish tour is the only one missing from his long list of victories. A win at the spring classic Paris-Roubaix has also eluded him so far, with two second-place finishes.