Tadej Pogacar didn't just win the Tour de France; he joined cycling's most exclusive club. The 27-year-old Slovene wrapped up his fifth overall title on Sunday, putting him alongside Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Induráin, and did it in crushing fashion: five stage wins, record times on the Col du Tourmalet and Alpe d'Huez, and a winning margin of nearly 6½ minutes. On the final day in Paris, shortened because of France's wildfires, Mathieu van der Poel snagged the Champs-Élysees stage by inches after attacking with Pogacar on the last climb. Pogacar also had enough breathing room to help teammate Isaac del Toro secure third overall—and even gifted him a stage earlier in the race.
His dominance, though, arrived with familiar unease. Pogacar's UAE Emirates XRG squad is run by Mauro Gianetti, whose past teams were hit by major doping scandals, including the 2008 Saunier Duval affair. Nighttime anti-doping tests on Pogacar and rival Jonas Vingegaard last weekend underscored lingering suspicion, even as Pogacar said he fully supports strict controls. Merckx, now 81, predicts Pogacar will go on to a record sixth title. Before that, the sport expects him at the Vuelta a España, chasing the only Grand Tour he hasn't yet won.
Two-time Tour champion Jonas Vingegaard was Pogacar's main rival heading into the race, but the Dane crashed out on the 15th stage. "It's an incredible day, there was an incredible atmosphere," the champion said afterward, per the AP. "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." He called it a shame that Vingegaard and others crashed out. "I hope we can all fight again next year," Pogacar said.
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