Tadej Pogacar achieved a record-equalling fifth win in the Tour de France on Sunday, placing him alongside cycling legends Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Induráin. The final stage in Paris saw Mathieu van der Poel claim his second stage victory of the race on the Champs-Élysées.
Van der Poel’s win came after he broke away with Pogacar on the final ascent of the Butte de Montmartre, narrowly holding off a group of sprinters. This dramatic finale capped a Tour where Pogacar demonstrated significant dominance.
Pogacar’s Dominance and Record-Breaking Performance
Pogacar’s performance in this year’s Tour was marked by his unparalleled strength, setting records on two challenging climbs: the Col du Tourmalet and Alpe d’Huez. He also played a crucial role in guiding his teammate, Isaac del Toro, to a third-place finish in the overall standings.
The Slovenian cyclist won the overall race by a margin of nearly six and a half minutes and secured five stage victories. His exceptional form led to record times on legendary climbs in both the Pyrenees and the Alps. Pogacar acknowledged the challenges of the Tour, stating that “a lot of shit can happen” over three weeks.
Despite the strong competition, including Remco Evenepoel, who might have won his first Tour in a different era, Pogacar’s UAE Emirates XRG team proved to be formidable. Evenepoel, the Olympic road race champion, finished second overall, more than seven minutes behind Pogacar.
On Saturday, Richard Carapaz of EF Education-EasyPost won the final mountain stage, riding to victory in Alpe d’Huez. Carapaz’s sports director, Charlie Wegelius, praised his perseverance after a challenging stage where Sepp Kuss crashed twice in the closing kilometres. Carapaz secured his second stage win in three days and claimed the mountains classification.
Scrutiny and Future Prospects
Pogacar’s success has brought renewed attention to his team and its history. His team manager, Mauro Gianetti, addressed past controversies, including the Saunier Duval scandal of 2008, where riders on his team were involved in doping allegations. Gianetti described himself as a “victim” of these past incidents.
In a related development, Pogacar and his rival Jonas Vingegaard underwent night-time tests by the Independent Testing Agency before stage 15. These tests were supported by the Tour de France director, Christian Prudhomme, and the UCI, the sport’s governing body. The UCI described these controls as “an exceptional measure, reserved for limited and justified circumstances.”
Pogacar accepted the tests, stating that if such measures are necessary to prove clean riding, he would commit to them. The ITA has indicated that while no public communication is made regarding negative results, there is no definitive date from which all tests can be considered negative.
Looking ahead, Pogacar is anticipated to participate in August’s Vuelta a España, aiming to win the only Grand Tour title he has not yet claimed. The 27-year-old cyclist is currently at the peak of his abilities, and many believe he could achieve a Grand Tour grand slam. The next edition of the Tour de France is set to begin in Scotland, with Prudhomme describing Edinburgh as a “magical city.”
Source: theguardian.com
