Tadej Pogacar of UAE Team Emirates-XRG has claimed his record-equalling fifth Tour de France title. The Slovenian rider crossed the finish line on the Champs-Élysées in Paris as part of the peloton. This victory places him alongside cycling legends Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Indurain with five overall wins.
The final stage of the three-week Grand Tour saw Mathieu van der Poel of Alpecin-Premier Tech secure a dramatic victory. The Dutch rider charged to the line on the cobbled streets of Paris, narrowly beating Mads Pedersen of Lidl-Trek.
Pogacar’s Dominance and Key Achievements
Pogacar’s latest triumph marks his third consecutive Tour de France win. His performance included a record-breaking ascent of Alpe d’Huez during stage 19, where he sealed a dominant victory. This was one of his four stage wins in the race, showcasing his explosive power and consistent pace against rivals.
Throughout his eight-year elite professional career, Pogacar has accumulated 126 wins. His impressive palmarès includes victories in major races such as the Tour of Flanders, Giro d’Italia, Milan-San Remo, Road World Championships, Giro di Lombardia, and Liege-Bastogne-Liege. He has finished on the podium in all seven Tours he has competed in.
Pogacar expressed his gratitude, stating, “Victory is really special. Thank you to all the fans and my team. But the biggest thanks goes to all my family who support me all my life. My parents – without them I would not be standing here five times already.” He also acknowledged the absence of injured competitors, hoping for their quick recovery to “fight again next year.”
Dramatic Final Stage in Paris
The final stage, traditionally a ceremonial ride for overall contenders, featured a challenging circuit over Montmartre hill. This addition encouraged more powerful riders to vie for the stage win. Van der Poel launched his decisive attack with 11km remaining, alongside Pogacar.
The duo navigated the narrow lanes of Montmartre, with Pogacar eventually fading after three weeks of leading the race. Van der Poel’s strength allowed him to maintain his lead over a rapidly closing chasing pack, securing a prestigious victory that he described as a dream come true after missing last year’s final stage due to illness.
The stage itself was shortened from 133km to 89km due to the redeployment of emergency services to tackle wildfires in south-west France. This was the third stage of this year’s Tour affected by either wildfires or a heatwave.
Other Jersey Winners and Notable Performances
Richard Carapaz of EF Education-Easypost secured the King of the Mountains’ polka dot jersey for the second time in his career, accumulating 56 points more than Pogacar. He also won stage 18 and stage 20, covering 5,450km of climbing.
The green points jersey was awarded to Mads Pedersen of Lidl-Trek, who demonstrated tenacious riding on various terrains and won stage four. Pedersen joins a select group of six riders to have won the points jersey in all three Grand Tours.
Isaac del Toro, Pogacar’s UAE Team Emirates-XRG teammate, finished third overall and claimed the white jersey for the best young rider. The 22-year-old Mexican rider’s performance was aided by Pogacar’s support, including on the ‘queen’ stage to Alpe d’Huez. Del Toro has now finished on the podium in two Grand Tours, following a second-place finish at the Giro last year.
Remco Evenepoel of Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe finished second overall, six minutes 26 seconds behind Pogacar. Other notable general classification finishers included Paul Seixas of Decathlon-CMA CGM in fourth, and Tom Pidcock of Pinarello-Q36.5 in ninth, building on his third-place finish in last year’s Vuelta a Espana.
Jonas Vingegaard, who had previously broken Pogacar’s dominance in 2022 and 2023, abandoned the race after breaking his collarbone on stage 15. This incident raised questions regarding early morning anti-doping tests conducted by the International Testing Agency (ITA).
The Lidl-Trek team secured the team classification, maintaining a significant advantage over UAE Team Emirates-XRG. The Grand Depart trophy for 2027 was passed to Great Britain, with a start planned in Edinburgh.
Mathieu van der Poel’s victory on stage 21 marks a significant achievement, adding to his successes in one-day races like Paris-Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders.
Source: bbc.co.uk
As News-UK's Sports News Writer, Oscar Pennington reports on rugby union, golf and boxing for readers across the country. He built a reputation for sharp explainer pieces on regional sport. He holds a degree in Journalism from Nottingham Trent University and completed an NCTJ diploma. Oscar lives in Nottingham, where he follows the pro golf tour and amateur boxing. “Context is what turns a result into a story.”
