Tadej Pogacar Wins Fifth Tour de France, Joins Cycling’s Immortals with Record-Tying Victory

Tadej Pogacar cemented his place among cycling’s greatest ever riders on Sunday, winning his fifth Tour de France to equal the all-time record held by Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Indurain. The 27-year-old Slovenian crossed the finish line on the Champs-Élysées with a final margin of 6 minutes and 26 seconds over Belgian Remco Evenepoel. Pogacar’s dominance of the 2026 Tour was absolute. He seized the yellow jersey on Stage 6 in the Pyrenees and never relinquished it, breaking records on the Col du Tourmalet and Alpe d’Huez. He repeatedly paced his young Mexican teammate Isaac del Toro, helping the 22-year-old secure third place overall. “It’s the Tour, three weeks, a lot can happen,” Pogacar said. “But we controlled it from start to finish.” The 113th edition was staged against the backdrop of European heatwaves and wildfires. Richard Carapaz won Stage 20 on Alpe d’Huez, securing the polka dot jersey, while Mads Pedersen claimed the green points jersey. Pogacar now shares the record and has years to chase an outright sixth.