Tadej Pogačar wins record-equalling fifth Tour de France title

Tadej Pogačar secured a record-equalling fifth Tour de France title on Sunday, 26 July 2026, joining an elite group of cycling legends after a dominant campaign defined by mountain attacks and blistering speed (Abc). The Slovenian champion completed the 21st and final stage in Paris, cementing his status alongside Eddy Merckx, Miguel Indurain, Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault (Sportsnet). Eddy Merckx, widely considered the greatest-ever cyclist because of the breadth of his achievements beyond the Tour itself, believes that Pogačar will soon break the record for victories, stating via Aol that the champion will not be content just to draw level.

Pogačar sealed victory in the overall standings, finishing ahead of Belgian rider Remco Evenepoel (Abc). His path to the title was smoothed by aggressive racing and record times on legendary climbs in the Pyrenees and Alps, though major rival and two-time champion Jonas Vingegaard crashed out during the 15th stage (Aol). Pogačar’s UAE Team Emirates XRG teammate, 22-year-old Mexican debutant Isaac Del Toro, rounded out the podium in third place (Abc). Pogačar memorably sacrificed a potential stage win on the leg to Alpe d'Huez, spending the final kilometres pacing the front of the peloton to protect Del Toro's podium spot and white jersey (Foxsports).

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Reflecting on his historic milestone, Pogačar expressed his disbelief (Abc).

"I'm speechless. It's an incredible day, there was an incredible atmosphere."

Tadej Pogačar, Tour de France champion, via Abc

He added that after competing in multiple Tours and always finishing on the podium, the achievement felt like a fairytale (Abc).

The final stage in Paris delivered high drama as the peloton tackled the Montmartre district (Abc). Shortened due to emergency services being redeployed to combat wildfires in the south-west, the circuit featured multiple ascents of Rue Lepic (Abc). Mathieu van der Poel launched a powerful attack on the final climb alongside Pogačar, ultimately holding off the chasing pack on the Champs-Élysées to claim his second stage win of the race (Aol). Meanwhile, Richard Carapaz secured the polka-dot jersey as the race's best climber, and Mads Pedersen claimed the green jersey for the points classification (Abc).

Beneath the sporting triumph, the race unfolded under scrutiny (Aol). Pogačar and Vingegaard were subjected to unexpected night-time anti-doping controls by the Independent Testing Agency prior to stage 15, authorised by a Paris judge and supported by the Union Cycliste Internationale and Tour director Christian Prudhomme (Aol). Pogačar raised no objections to the controls, stating they proved athletes were riding clean (Aol). Team manager Mauro Gianetti also addressed historical questions surrounding past doping scandals within teams he previously managed, describing himself as a victim of those events (Aol).

Podium Standings and Jersey Winners

• Yellow Jersey (Overall Winner): Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates XRG) (Abc, Aol)
• Second Place: Remco Evenepoel (Abc)
• Third Place & White Jersey (Best Young Rider): Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates XRG) (Abc, Foxsports)
• Polka-Dot Jersey (King of the Mountains): Richard Carapaz (Abc)
• Green Jersey (Points Winner): Mads Pedersen (Abc)

Attention now pivots to the remaining calendar events (Abc). Pogačar turns his focus toward the Spanish Vuelta, which commences on August 22, as he targets the sole Grand Tour title missing from his palmares (Abc, Aol). Meanwhile, the women's Tour is scheduled to begin in Lausanne on August 1 and conclude in Nice on August 9 (Sportsnet), and the men's Tour looks ahead to a future Grand Départ in Scotland (Aol).