Tadej Pogacar just sealed his record-equalling fifth Tour de France title, and the cycling world is absolutely stunned. This isn’t just another win for the 27-year-old UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider, who crossed the line on Paris’ Champs-Elysees in the peloton, he’s now standing shoulder-to-shoulder with legends like Jacques Anquetil and Eddy Merckx as one of the sport’s most successful male riders. Pogacar himself said it felt “something you wouldn’t even maybe write in a story book.”
Unstoppable Force Meets Frustrated Fans
Let’s be real, this guy is unreal. Pogacar’s victory, his third Tour win in succession, means many are already calling him the greatest cyclist of all time, even superseding Belgian legend Merckx. He’s got this explosive launch and an unmatchable metronomic pace that his rivals just can’t counter. We saw it again with a record-breaking ascent of the iconic Alpe d’Huez on stage 19, one of his four dominant stage wins. Pogacar has practically won every major race out there: the Tour of Flanders, Giro d’Italia, Milan-San Remo, Road World Championships, Giro di Lombardia, and Liege-Bastogne-Liege. He’s stacked up 126 wins in an eight-year elite career. But here’s the kicker: some fans actually booed him during the Tour. Yeah, you heard that right. His performances are so far ahead of his peers that some feel the sport is losing its competitive edge. Talk about being too good!
Chaos on the Cobbles: Van der Poel Snags the Final Stage
While Pogacar was cementing his legend, the final stage on the Champs-Elysees brought its own brand of high-octane drama. Traditionally a flat bunch sprint, organizers ASO spiced things up last year with a cobbled climb over Montmartre hill. It absolutely delivered. Netherlands’ Mathieu van der Poel of Alpecin-Premier Tech charged away with 11km remaining, even leading with Pogacar through those picturesque, narrow lanes over Montmartre. Things got wild, with some fans having mobile phones knocked out of their hands as riders flew past. After three weeks of showing no weakness, Pogacar finally faded, but Van der Poel, a classics legend with multiple Paris-Roubaix and Tour of Flanders wins, held on. He pipped Denmark’s Mads Pedersen by mere inches, collapsing off his bike after crossing the line, absolutely spent. What a finish!
For Pogacar, the win is “really special.” He thanked his family, who he says are why he’s “standing here five times already.” He gave a shoutout to Jonas Vingegaard and others who crashed out, hoping they have a quick recovery to “fight again next year.” You gotta respect that. The question now isn’t if Pogacar will keep winning, but how many more records he’ll smash, and if anyone, anywhere, can actually mount a challenge.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by BBC Sport.
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