Pogacar dominates Tour de France, closing in on fifth title and cycling immortality

In boxing, they would say: He is the master of all classes. In his sport, many already see him as the greatest of all time — greater than the legendary Eddy Merckx (81).

Tadej Pogacar (27) is once again leading the overall standings of the Tour de France, extending his lead to four and a half minutes with a stage win on Saturday. Unless he crashes or a miracle occurs, he will celebrate his fifth Tour victory next Sunday on the Champs-Élysées in Paris.

The TOURminator

A year ago, the Slovenian was younger than any other rider at the time of his fourth victory. With a fifth triumph, Pogacar would join the icons Eddy Merckx, Jacques Anquetil (†53), Bernard Hinault (71), and Miguel Indurain (62). And his ambitions do not stop there.

The mountain jersey also belongs to Tadej Pogacar. His arch-rival Jonas Vingegaard is wearing it in the race as a representative. Photo: Gonzalo Fuentes/REUTERS

"He knows what the real benchmark is," says Lance Armstrong (54). The American won the Tour seven times, though all his victories were stripped due to doping. Former sprinter Marcel Kittel (38) told BILD: "Pogacar will already have his eyes on Lance's seven titles." Given his current dominance, that milestone could be reached by 2028.

What Drives Pogacar?

Missing Only Three Major Victories

On one hand, there is the addiction to titles. He is obsessed with records:

• Most Tour wins
• Winning all three Grand Tours (Tour, Giro, and Vuelta)
• All five Monuments (classics such as Paris-Roubaix and Milan-San Remo)
• As many stage races of a week or longer as possible
• World Championship titles
• Olympic gold

He has achieved most of these goals but is still missing Olympic victory, the Vuelta, and Paris-Roubaix.

Not all fans cheer for Tadej Pogacar. He has also been booed because of his dominance. Photo: LOIC VENANCE/AFP

On the other hand, he forgets nothing and wants to erase defeats he views as disgraceful. During this Tour, he crossed the finish line first in Le Lioran — the exact location where he was beaten by arch-rival Jonas Vingegaard (29) two years ago.

Dominance and Criticism

Up to Saturday, Pogacar recorded 16 victories in 29 race days this year. This dominance has not been universally welcomed. During the Tour, there were boos along the route because Pogacar made no effort to leave glory to a local rider, even on the French national holiday (July 14). He responded confidently: "That only motivates us even more."

Chris Froome (41), a four-time winner like Pogacar, said of his successor: "He destroys them all. I also used to work very hard very early. But Tadej takes it to the extreme. Already on the 6th stage, he showed his opponents that they are only riding for 2nd place. That can be frustrating. I wouldn't have wanted him around when I was at my best."

A Champion with Character

Pogacar does not want to win titles at any cost. When his fiancée Urska Zigart (29), also a professional cyclist, was not nominated for the 2024 Olympics, he chose not to participate either.

Kittel remarked: "We haven't often seen in the past that someone, despite their huge success, is so likeable and down-to-earth."

That's where he will stand again on July 26, if he doesn't crash: Tadej Pogacar (M.) in 2025 next to Jonas Vingegaard (29/l.) and Florian Lipowitz (25). Photo: Getty Images

At the end of his career, that legacy may define him as much as his victories.