Pogacar finds joy in winning and helping teammate Del Toro

Tadej Pogacar has claimed his fifth Tour de France title, achieving a record-equalling feat with his third consecutive victory. This year's triumph presented a notably different Pogacar compared to the previous edition, where he exhibited grumpiness due to knee issues. In contrast, the 2024 race saw a joyful rider, largely motivated by his strategic plan to support teammate Isaac Del Toro in securing third place overall.

“

Maybe people will talk about how I helped Isaac to arrive on the podium but first of all, he helped me to arrive in yellow.

Pogacar's dominance was such that he willingly offered a stage victory to Del Toro in Barcelona, foregoing potential bonus seconds. Throughout the three-week race, he secured five stage wins, bringing his career total to 26 across seven appearances. His decisive moments often came on challenging high-altitude stages, including stage six tackling the Col du Tourmalet and stage ten in Le Lioran, where he extended his lead significantly.

With main competitor Jonas Vingegaard withdrawing after a crash on stage 15, the competitive landscape shifted. Pogacar then fully embraced the role of a supportive teammate for Del Toro, while still ensuring he claimed some of the race's most demanding stages, such as stage 14 at Le Markstein and the iconic Alpe d'Huez on stage 19.

“

It was an honour to ride for Isaac the last two hours, or the last hour-and-a-half, of the race. I did it with pleasure, and I realised how hard it is to work for somebody else.

On stage 15, after it became clear he would join cycling legends with five Tour victories, Pogacar paced Del Toro up the Plateau de Solaison, seemingly allowing Remco Evenepoel to take the stage win. On the penultimate stage, Pogacar spent considerable time assisting Del Toro, who solidified his third-place position. Pogacar expressed his satisfaction, stating, "It was an honor to ride for Isaac the last two hours... I did it with pleasure, and I realized how hard it is to work for somebody else."

“

Coming together through the line, I think it's quite a memorable achievement.