Tadej Pogacar just etched his name into cycling legend, snagging his fifth Tour de France title on Sunday. That puts him in an insane club alongside all-time greats Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Indurain. We’re talking Mount Rushmore of road cycling, people!
The Champ’s Mindset
You’d think after pulling off something so monumental, Pogacar would be shouting from the rooftops about his place in history. But nope, that’s not his vibe. He just wants to enjoy the moment, not even thinking about joining that lofty company. “Right now I just want to enjoy the moment of winning the Tour,” he said. “If it’s the fifth or the first, it doesn’t matter, it’s unbelievable to wear the yellow jersey and to cross the line in Paris winning it.” He’s all about living this moment, getting home, chilling out, and enjoying the “small things” in life. After grinding for weeks, you gotta respect that. Each of his five Tours has had its own story, meaning, and emotions. Each win feels “incredible and unbelievable” for him. What a legend.
Champs-Élysées Chaos
While Pogacar celebrated his overall victory, the final stage in Paris was pure pandemonium. Mathieu van der Poel, the cobbled classics specialist, lived out a career dream, snatching the win on the iconic Champs-Élysées avenue. He and Pogacar made a break on the Montmartre climb, with fans absolutely losing it. They committed fully to a 10km charge, riding “to the death,” as Pogacar put it, with sprinters breathing down their necks. In those final 700 meters, Van der Poel surged, Pogacar wilted, and it was a photo-finish for Van der Poel, barely holding off the pack. He even thought the chasers would catch him! His Alpecin Premier Tech teammate Jasper Philipsen came closest to stealing it, a “Pirelli tyre” next to him, according to Van der Poel. What a finish! Van der Poel said winning the Tour des Champs-Élysées made up for a shaky start. He called it a dream come true, finding strength from who knows where, not even “from my toes” as the Dutch saying goes.
Evenepoel’s Rise
Let’s not forget Remco Evenepoel, who bagged his best ever Tour result with a solid second place overall, proving a ton of doubters wrong. This dude took home two stage victories, including a brutal mountain stage! Critics were chirping that the time-trial specialist would crack in the high mountains. But Evenepoel shut them all up, big time. He absolutely proved he’s a worthy contender for an overall Tour victory in the future. You love to see a rider answer the critics on the road.
So, Pogacar is off to enjoy the quiet life, Van der Poel’s living a dream, and Evenepoel just laid down a serious marker for future Tours. This year’s Tour de France delivered some unforgettable moments, reminding us why we love this sport. Can’t wait to see what these guys pull off next!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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