Tadej Pogačar Wins Tour de France for Fifth Time, Closing In on All-Time Record

Even before the start of the final stage, shortened from its original 133 kilometers to 89 due to severe forest fires near Bordeaux, the Slovenian's overall victory was already secured. The general classification timing was stopped 48 kilometers from the finish; on the Champs-Élysées and the new Montmartre climbs in the French capital, the Yellow Jersey is traditionally no longer contested. The prestigious stage victory on the Avenue des Champs-Élysées ultimately went to the Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel, who passed Pogačar around 500 meters from the line after the Slovenian had shown himself together with his teammate Nils Politt in the final kilometers.

Dominance From the Start

Pogačar had laid the foundation for his fifth overall victory in the first week, when he put the competition to the sword on the first Pyrenean stage at the Col du Tourmalet, the Tour's first serious obstacle. Thereafter, the 27-year-old practically never relinquished command of the three-week race. He dominated the Alpine mountain classification with a blend of tactical cleverness and sheer superiority that reminded observers of past greats.

Record at the Legendary Alpe d'Huez

The 27-year-old delivered his masterpiece last Friday, when he attacked on the legendary Alpe d'Huez in front of around 600,000 spectators about 13 kilometers from the finish, effortlessly catching and dropping a strong breakaway group that included two renowned climbing specialists. Pogačar needed 35:26 minutes for the 13.8-kilometer final climb, an average of more than 23 km/h, shattering the 31-year-old record held by Italian legend Marco Pantani. Compared with the benchmark set in 1995, this represented an improvement of 1:24 minutes – a performance many experts find scarcely believable.

Pogačar had previously triumphed in 2020, 2021, 2024, and 2025, and now for the fifth time. In the all-time ranking of Tour winners, the Slovenian moved level with France's Bernard Hinault and Belgium's Eddy Merckx, who also have five overall victories apiece. Above them towers only Britain's Mark Cavendish (35), though his records were set as a stage collector. Merckx, now 81, believes Pogačar is capable of much more: "Bald wird er unseren Rekord an Tour-Siegen brechen," the Belgian said, convinced. If Pogačar continues at his current pace, the historic record could fall in as little as two years.

Challengers Without a Chance

The fact that this Tour victory was so unchallenged was also due to Pogačar's challengers running out of steam over the 21 stages. The runner-up, Remco Evenepoel, and French hope Paul Seixas quickly realized that, while strong, they were not strong enough for the battle for overall victory. Jonas Vingegaard, who had beaten Pogačar at the Tour in 2022 and 2023, abandoned after a crash on stage 15 due to injury. In the mountains it had been a "Mission impossible," the Belgian double Olympic champion Evenepoel later conceded.

Alongside the sporting triumph, the surrounding conditions of the race also provided fodder for discussion. Pogačar reported anti-doping controls at 5:00 a.m. that became a burden on the riders. Boos from the roadside accompanied the Slovenian at times, though it did not throw him off balance. "Das macht uns nur stärker," Pogačar replied: "Wenn mich jemand ausbuht, denke ich an Novak Djokovic und lasse mich von ihm inspirieren." The Serbian tennis star has also faced his share of detractors. 99 Prozent der Leute seien ihm aber positiv gestimmt, Pogačar noted.

Boos and Doping Controls

His team boss Mauro Gianetti found above all words of praise for his protégé. "Pogi ist inzwischen zu einer weltweiten Persönlichkeit geworden," Gianetti enthused: "Er hat die Aura, das Charisma, die Anziehungskraft eines Roger Federer. Er ist eine Ikone." France's sporting bible L'Equipe admiringly described the Slovenian as a "Menschenfresser." Pogačar himself, despite all his successes, continues to emphasize his modesty. "Rekorde interessieren mich nicht, es geht mir um den Sieg," Pogačar said in his characteristically humble way. And: "Ich habe nicht das Gefühl, dass ich seit 2024 wesentlich stärker geworden bin. Es kommt auf die Details an," Pogačar said.

Along the way, the 27-year-old has now worn the maillot jaune on 71 days in his career, the yellow leader's jersey of the most important bike race in the world. His contract with UAE Team runs until 2030, meaning the Slovenian can pursue his next historic goals. Back at the 2024 Tour of Catalonia, Pogačar had already drawn attention with a surprise maneuver, attacking out of nowhere and, a few hundred meters later, grinning as he disappeared into a bush.

From a German perspective, the 113th Tour de France also offered a few stories. German hope Florian Lipowitz, with a broken collarbone, had to abandon the race early despite lying fifth at the time of his withdrawal, and can attack again in 2027. At his first Tour de France, the 28-year-old German champion repeatedly featured in breakaways, was voted the most combative rider on stage two, and finished strongly with five top-ten placings as well as a second-place finish on a stage. Germany's Nils Politt, riding with Pogačar's team since 2024, operated more as a loyal helper than a stage hunter. Politt's biggest German result in recent memory was his stage victory from 2020.

German Traces of the Race

France's Jordan Jegat finished fourth in the general classification, 33:21 minutes behind Pogačar. Switzerland's Yannis Voisard, riding for Team Tudor, completed his debut Tour and finished the race on his 28th birthday. Tour director Christian Prudhomme had already announced that the Grand Départ of the 2029 Tour will take place in Germany, with Berlin being tipped as the start venue.

At the end of a memorable Tour de France, records stand rewritten, and the history books are likely to be revised further in the years ahead. Eddy Merckx, once known for his indomitable will to win, does not believe Pogačar will settle for merely drawing level with the other champions. The Frenchman Bernard Hinault, whose tally of five Tour victories is now shared with Pogačar, will surely follow the coming years with keen interest. For the moment, however, the biggest stage in cycling belongs to a Slovenian from Komenda who, at 27, has already penetrated the most exclusive circle of sporting history.

Economically, too, the triumph is a milestone for Pogačar. The Slovenian has become a global brand in recent years, his social media presence reaches millions, and sponsors sense the potential of a living cycling legend. The contract extension with UAE Team until 2030 provides planning security – and room for the next sporting visions. Which of these Pogačar will actually realize in the coming seasons remains to be seen. One thing, however, is clear: the competition in the peloton must prepare for further dominant performances.

After crossing the line on the Champs-Élysées, the celebratory crowd bath, and the traditional sip of champagne, Pogačar's first thanks went to his teammates. On the stage finishing at Alpe d'Huez, Pogačar mentioned each of his helpers by name, thanked them for their support, and detailed everything they had done for him over those three weeks. This gesture underscores the transformation the former "Sonnyboy" of cycling has undergone: from talent to absolute leader, one who takes responsibility for an entire team and leads the peloton as its "Patron."

A Patron of Modern Cycling

With now five overall Tour de France victories and seemingly unbroken motivation, Pogačar faces an open future. The history books of cycling lie open, and the next milestone is within reach. Until then, only one certainty remains: cycling has found in