Is 5-time Tour de France Champion Tadej Pogacar the greatest ever?
UAE Team Emirates XRG rider adds one more feather to his decorated cap
There was never really any doubt about the greatness of UAE Team Emirates XRG cyclist Tadej Pogacar even before he won his record 5th Tour de France title on Sunday.
Pogacar joined an elite club of riders to have won the sport's greatest race five times: Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain.
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And he could yet become the best of all in years to come.
Anyone who has followed the Slovenian rider’s career trajectory would have known even prior to this monumental achievement that this 27-year-old was marked for greatness.
Besides his 5 Tour de France titles, Pogacar has won the 2024 Giro d’Italia and 13 one-day monuments (Milan-San Remo once, Tour of Flanders three times, Liege-Bastogne-Liege four times and Giro di Lombardia five times), besides winning the World Championship Road Race twice.
And it has been a great year for Pogacar.
He won stage races at the Tour de Suisse and the Tour de Romandie, as well as stunning victories in one-day classics.
On Sunday, Pogacar finished 6 minutes, 26 seconds ahead of Belgian rider Remco Evenepoel, a time trial great, in the overall standings.
"I'm speechless. It's an incredible day, there was an incredible atmosphere," Pogacar said. "I've ridden seven Tours already and I've always finished on the podium. You might think this is a fairytale, it's incredible for me too."
Two-time Tour champion Jonas Vingegaard was Pogacar's main rival heading into the race but the Dane crashed out on the 15th stage.
"Shame that Jonas and others crashed out of this Tour," Pogacar said. "I hope we can all fight again next year."
Pogacar's UAE Team Emirates XRG teammate Isaac Del Toro, a 22-year-old Mexican making his Tour debut, was third at 9:42 back from Pogacar, who smiled and held up his hand to signify his wins. His teammates then joined him as they stood proudly on the Champs-Élysees.
"I don't know how I do it," Pogacar said. "I now have to find a new goal to chase. Which goal? Let's just not jump ahead of ourselves, and enjoy this moment."
Pogacar has not won the Spanish Vuelta, which starts on Aug. 22.
"Will I be at La Vuelta in a few weeks?" he said. "Let's see."
