Pogačar wins record fifth Tour de France title

Tadej Pogačar cemented his legacy as one of cycling's all-time greats by clinching his fifth Tour de France title in a dominant performance. The 27-year-old Slovenian rider achieved this milestone by combining daring mountain attacks, multiple stage victories, and a composed demeanor throughout the race.

With this victory, Pogačar joins an elite group of cyclists, including Eddy Merckx, Miguel Indurain, Jacques Anquetil, and Bernard Hinault, who have all won the prestigious race five times. "I'm speechless. It's an incredible day, there was an incredible atmosphere," Pogačar remarked after his win. "I've ridden seven Tours already, and I've always finished on the podium. You might think this is a fairytale, it's incredible for me too."

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I'm speechless. It's an incredible day, there was an incredible atmosphere. I've ridden seven Tours already, and I've always finished on the podium. You might think this is a fairytale, it's incredible for me too.

Pogačar finished the 21-stage race an impressive 6 minutes and 26 seconds ahead of Belgium's Remco Evenepoel in the overall standings. His primary rival, two-time champion Jonas Vingegaard, was forced to withdraw after crashing on the 15th stage. "Shame that Jonas and others crashed out of this Tour," Pogačar said. "I hope we can all fight again next year."

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Shame that Jonas and others crashed out of this Tour. I hope we can all fight again next year.

His UAE Team Emirates XRG teammate, Isaac Del Toro of Mexico, secured third place, finishing 9 minutes and 42 seconds behind Pogačar. The victorious rider, who also won five stages in this year's race, bringing his career total to 26, reflected on his future goals. "I don't know how I do it," Pogačar admitted. "I now have to find a new goal to chase. Which goal? Let's just not jump ahead of ourselves, and enjoy this moment."

The final stage, a largely processional 88.7km loop around Paris, saw Mathieu van der Poel of the Netherlands claim his second stage win of the race. The stage's route was adjusted from its original 133km and shifted from Thoiry to Paris to alleviate pressure on emergency services dealing with wildfires in the south-west. For the second consecutive year, the stage included a challenging uphill climb through Montmartre.

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I don't know how I do it. I now have to find a new goal to chase. Which goal? Let's just not jump ahead of ourselves, and enjoy this moment.