In Paris, Tadej Pogacar became the fastest and youngest rider to capture a fifth Tour de France title. The 27‑year‑old Slovene secured his fifth overall victory on the Champs‑Élysées during Sunday’s final stage, led by Matthieunership‑Van‑der‑Poel.
Pogacar now stands alongside cycling legends Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Induráin, and is poised to pursue a record‑breaking sixth Tour.
“When it’s no longer fun, he will stop,” his mother, Marjeta, explained. “Maybe ten years – we’ll see.”
French media largely applauded his triumph. The Team lauded him as a “member of the club of five,” Today hailed it a “five‑star triumph,” and Le Figaro described Pogacar as “untouchable, implacable and unbending.”
His record is truly remarkable. Aside from Paris‑Roubaix, the only race he has yet to win is the upcoming Vuelta a España, commencing in Monaco on 22 August.
During his five Tours spanning 16,911 km, Pogacar held the yellow jersey for nearly 9,500 km—an extraordinary achievement given he first claimed the lead on the penultimate stage in 2020.
At 27, he’s the youngest among five‑time winners and has completed 404 hours of racing to date, compared with Anquetil’s 613 hours. His average speed of 41.99 km/h surpasses all predecessors, and he has claimed more mountain stages. These figures reflect modern technology, improved equipment, shorter stages, additional rest days, and fewer time trials.ánea
While Pogacar and his squad dominated—Isaac del Toro finished third on the podium—other teams faltered. The UAE Emirates XRG team earned €832,750 (≈ £712,000) in prize money, whereas the Picnic PostNL squad netted €12,770.
French riders experienced mixed results. Though there were no home stage wins for the third time, Paul Seixas, Lenny Martinez, and Jordan Jegat placed in the top ten.
The 19‑year‑old Seixas represents France’s future but finished fourth after recovering from a crash and a cold. “I wanted the podium in Paris; I was close to Isaac Del Toro,” he said. “But the gap between myself and Pogacar is a world apart.”
“Still, it’s motivating and inspiring. It will push me harder. I have a clear vision of what I need to achieve to bring the Tour home,” he added.
Pogacar will presumably start the Vuelta, while the future plans of long‑time rival Jonas Vingegaard—who exited the Tour after a doping control crash—remain unclear.
The night‑time doping controls imposed on both riders by the International Testing Agency sparked intense speculation, though no results have yet been disclosed.
Nonetheless, Le Figaro acknowledged Pogacar’s achievement but warned that sustaining credibility for both the Tour and the rider is a challenge “greater than any record.”
