Tadej Pogačar won the Tour de France for the fifth time Sunday after completing the final stage in Paris. The 27-year-old Slovenian finished the entire race in 73 hours, 56 minutes and 26 seconds, giving him a lead of nearly six and a half minutes over Belgium’s Remco Evenepoel.
The victory puts Pogačar in a group of five riders who have won the Tour five times. Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Induráin are the others. Pogačar reached five wins at a younger age than any of them.
His latest Tour included five stage victories, bringing his career total to 26. He has now entered the Tour seven times and finished on the podium every time.
Pogačar called the result “unbelievable” while speaking to reporters after the race. He also thanked the fans and people who supported him during the Tour.
Sunday’s final stage looked different from what organizers originally planned. Riders were supposed to start in Thoiry, about 56 kilometers west of Paris, and travel toward the capital. Wildfires in southwestern France led organizers to shorten the route and move the start to Paris.
Police and security personnel who had been assigned to the race were needed to help with the response to the fires. The changes also pushed the start slightly later, with riders getting underway at around 5:50 p.m. local time.
The stage covered about 55 miles through Paris and included three trips up a one-kilometer climb in the Montmartre district. The finish remained on the Champs-Élysées, where Pogačar completed his fifth Tour victory shortly before 8 p.m.
Even with the overall title nearly secured, Pogačar got involved in the racing during the final stage. After the second Montmartre climb, he was among the riders near the front. Mathieu van der Poel later made his move during the final climb, with Pogačar responding.
Their push did not last to the finish. The riders behind caught them with around 700 meters left, and Pogačar dropped back from the fight for the stage win. He eventually crossed the line in 30th place.
Van der Poel still managed to take the stage, finishing in 1 hour, 58 minutes and 49 seconds. Jasper Philipsen of Belgium came in just behind him, followed by Denmark’s Mads Pedersen.
Pogačar’s UAE Team Emirates XRG teammate Isaac del Toro also finished near the top of the overall standings. The 22-year-old Mexican placed third in his first Tour, ending the race 9 minutes and 42 seconds behind Pogačar.
Jonas Vingegaard, a two-time Tour winner and one of Pogačar’s main rivals entering the race, did not make it to Paris. He left the Tour after crashing during Stage 15.
Pogačar has already won the Giro d’Italia, taking that title in 2024. The Vuelta a España remains one of the major races he has not won. It begins Aug. 22, but Pogačar did not confirm whether he would compete when asked about his plans after Sunday’s finish.
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