Tadej Pogačar Wins Record-Equalling Fifth Tour de France

KUALA LUMPUR, JULY 2026 — Slovenian cycling star Tadej Pogačar strengthened his status as one of the greatest riders in history after winning the 2026 Tour de France and claiming a record-equalling fifth overall title.

The 27-year-old UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider completed the three-week race with a commanding advantage of six minutes and 26 seconds over Belgium’s Remco Evenepoel. Pogačar’s teammate, Isaac del Toro, finished third in the general classification.

With his fifth Tour victory, Pogačar joined an elite group of cycling legends who have achieved the same milestone: Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain.

Pogačar previously won the Tour de France in 2020, 2021, 2024 and 2025. His latest triumph marked a third consecutive victory and further demonstrated his dominance in modern professional cycling.

The Slovenian controlled the race through aggressive attacks in the mountains, strong individual performances and consistent support from his UAE Team Emirates-XRG teammates.

One of the defining moments came during Stage 6, when Pogačar launched a decisive attack on the Col du Tourmalet. He continued to consolidate his lead across the remaining mountain stages and won five stages during the 2026 edition.

Evenepoel produced several strong performances, including consecutive stage victories and an impressive win in the Stage 16 individual time trial. However, he was unable to overcome the substantial advantage built by Pogačar in the general classification.

Del Toro’s third-place finish also represented a significant result for UAE Team Emirates-XRG. The young Mexican rider emerged as one of the leading talents of the race and helped his team secure two positions on the final podium.

The final stage in Paris was shortened because of wildfires affecting southwestern France. Despite the changes, riders still faced a demanding route that included the Montmartre climb before the traditional finish on the Champs-Élysées.

Mathieu van der Poel won the final stage following a dramatic sprint, narrowly beating Jasper Philipsen and Mads Pedersen. Pogačar was also involved in an attacking move during the final passage over Montmartre but ultimately focused on safely completing the race and confirming his overall victory.

Richard Carapaz claimed the polka-dot jersey as the Tour’s best climber, while Pedersen secured the green jersey awarded to the leading rider in the points classification.

Pogačar has now won five Tours de France as well as the 2024 Giro d’Italia, strengthening his reputation as one of the most complete cyclists of his generation.

Following his latest achievement, the Slovenian suggested that he could consider competing in the Vuelta a España, the only Grand Tour missing from his career record.

His victory also places him within reach of a unique cycling record. No rider has won the Tour de France six times, meaning another overall triumph would make Pogačar the most successful rider in the event’s history by total victories.

For now, his fifth yellow jersey places him alongside the most celebrated names in cycling and confirms his position as the dominant Grand Tour rider of the current era.