Slovenian cyclist Tadej Pogacar secured his fifth Tour de France title, while Mathieu van der Poel won the race's final stage in Paris.
Key facts
- •Tadej Pogacar joins Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Indurain with five Tour de France titles.
- •Mathieu van der Poel won the final stage after a breakaway that began with 11km remaining.
- •Jonas Vingegaard, the 2022 and 2023 winner, withdrew from the race after breaking his collarbone on stage 15.
- •The final stage distance was reduced from 133km to 89km due to emergency services responding to wildfires.
- •Isaac del Toro finished third in the general classification, supported by Pogacar during the race.
Slovenian rider Tadej Pogacar has won the Tour de France for a record-equalling fifth time. The 27-year-old UAE Team Emirates-XRG cyclist crossed the finish line on the Champs-Elysees in the peloton to join Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Indurain as the sport's most successful male riders.
By the numbers
Final Stage and Race Dynamics
The final stage of the three-week race was won by Mathieu van der Poel of Alpecin-Premier Tech, who narrowly defeated Denmark's Mads Pedersen. The stage, which was shortened from 133km to 89km due to wildfires in south-west France, featured a circuit including the Montmartre hill. Van der Poel broke away with 11km remaining alongside Pogacar, eventually holding off a chasing pack to secure the win.
Pogacar's Performance and Rivalries
This victory marks Pogacar's third consecutive Tour win and his 126th career victory. Throughout the race, he secured four stage wins, including a record-breaking ascent of Alpe d'Huez on stage 19. While Pogacar dominated, he faced scrutiny from some fans regarding his performance gap over peers. His primary rival, Jonas Vingegaard, abandoned the race on stage 15 after a crash, following a controversial early-morning anti-doping test conducted by the International Testing Agency.
Other Notable Performances
Pogacar's team-mate Isaac del Toro finished third overall and secured the white jersey for the best young rider. Richard Carapaz of EF Education-Easypost earned the king of the mountains' polka dot jersey, while Mads Pedersen claimed the green points jersey. Meanwhile, the team formerly known as Ineos failed to record a stage victory, and British rider Adam Yates provided support to Pogacar after recovering from an illness on stage 16.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by BBC Sport.
