Slovenian cyclist Tadej Pogačar completed one of the most dominant runs in modern cycling history this week, capturing his fifth Tour de France title and becoming just the fifth rider ever to win the race three years running, joining an elite club that includes some of the sport’s most legendary names.
A Dominant Three Weeks
Pogačar entered the race’s final stage in Paris with a commanding seven-minute lead, all but guaranteeing the win before the peloton even hit the Champs-Élysées. His total time across the grueling three-week race — which spanned more than 3,321 kilometers and 54,450 meters of elevation gain, starting in Barcelona — came in at 73 hours, 56 minutes, and 26 seconds, nearly six and a half minutes faster than his nearest competitor, Belgium’s Remco Evenepoel.
Dutch rider Mathieu van der Poel won the final stage itself by the thinnest of margins, edging out Pogačar in a two-man sprint after the pair broke away from the pack late in the race — but the stage win did nothing to change the overall outcome, which had been effectively sealed days earlier.
Joining Cycling Royalty
With this fifth overall title, Pogačar becomes just the fifth cyclist in history to win the Tour de France three years in a row, joining a group that includes Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Induráin — legendary names in the sport’s history. He’s the first rider to pull off three straight wins since Chris Froome accomplished the feat from 2015 to 2018.
“Unbelievable,” Pogačar told reporters after crossing the finish line, thanking his fans and team for the support that carried him through another grueling campaign.
A Race Marked by More Than Racing
This year’s edition wasn’t without disruption. The final stage’s route was shortened after security and police resources originally assigned to the race were reassigned to help battle wildfires burning in southwest France, a reminder of how extreme summer conditions across Europe are increasingly bleeding into major sporting events. Even with the shortened course, the finale delivered one of the more dramatic sprint finishes of the tournament, capping off a Tour that once again cemented Pogačar’s place among the sport’s all-time greats.
This story is developing.
