Tadej Pogačar secured his record-equalling fifth Tour de France title following a sensational 21st and final stage near Paris on Sunday, which was won by Mathieu van der Poel.
Достижения Pogačar
Pogačar, a two-time world champion, now joins the ranks of the most successful riders in Tour history alongside Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Indurain. He had effectively clinched his historic title during the preceding two mountain stages concluding on the famous Alpe d'Huez climb.
The 27-year-old Slovenian rider managed to win five stages throughout the race and had worn the yellow jersey since his victory on the sixth stage in the Pyrenees. His total count of stage victories reached 26, placing him fourth on the all-time list, behind only Mark Cavendish (35), Merckx (34), and Hinault (28).
Furthermore, Pogačar surpassed both Indurain and Chris Froome regarding the total number of days spent in the yellow jersey, accumulating 70 days, though he remains behind Hinault (75) and Merckx (96). He holds the distinction of being the youngest rider to achieve five Tour victories, surpassing Merckx by over a year, and is the first athlete to reach the podium for seven consecutive years. Additionally, he is the sole rider to have been on the podium in nine successive Grand Tours.
Финал гонки и результаты
The Slovenian participated in the dramatic final stage, which was shortened to 88.7km due to wildfires occurring in the southwest region. On the final ascent of Montmartre, Van der Poel and Pogačar managed to escape together with 10km remaining, subsequently battling against a group of sprinters closing in towards the finish line. As Pogačar's energy waned in the final 700 meters, and with the pursuers mere seconds behind, Van der Poel managed to break away alone.
The specialist in cobbled classics successfully maintained his lead to win by half a wheel length in a photo finish against his Alpecin–Premier Tech teammate, Jasper Philipsen, with Mads Pedersen securing third place. This marked Van der Poel's second stage victory in the 113th edition of the Tour and his fourth overall.
Remco Evenepoel, an Olympic champion, finished second overall, trailing by nearly six and a half minutes, while Isaac Del Toro from Mexico placed third. Dane Pedersen had a successful Tour, winning the sprinters' green jersey competition. Richard Carapaz of Ecuador triumphed in the polka dot King of the Mountains jersey category, having won two mountain stages, and was also recognized as the Tour's most combative rider. Isaac Del Toro earned the best young rider's white jersey.
Исторические аспекты гонки
Julian Alaphilippe, a two-time world champion from France, announced that he was participating in his final Tour. The 34-year-old had previously held the prestigious yellow jersey for 14 days in 2019 before relinquishing it two days prior to arriving in Paris.
The Tour proved historic in several respects. It was only the third time in 113 editions, following 1926 and 1999, that no French competitor won a stage. More remarkably, it is the first instance in 302 Grand Tours—including the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España—where no rider from France, Italy, or Spain has won a stage. In contrast, stages were won by riders from Slovenia, Mexico, Ecuador, and Denmark, illustrating the expansion of cycling beyond its traditional Western European origins.
The entire peloton established a new record for the fastest road stage ever recorded. The 11th stage, running from Vichy to Nevers, was completed at an average speed of 50.9km/h, surpassing the previous record of 50.35km/h set in 1990. By finishing third, Del Toro became the first Mexican rider to reach a Tour podium, while 19-year-old Paul Seixas became the youngest participant in the Grande Boucle since Adrien Cento in 1937.
