Pogacar Rolls Into Paris With a Record-Equalling Fifth Tour All but Sealed
Barring disaster on the largely ceremonial final stage, Tadej Pogacar will join Anquetil, Merckx, Hinault and Indurain on five Tour de France titles.
The 113th Tour de France reaches Paris today with the biggest question already answered. Tadej Pogacar carries a lead of about six and a half minutes over Belgium's Remco Evenepoel into the final stage from Thoiry to Paris, and a fifth yellow jersey would put the Slovenian alongside Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain — the four men who define the race's history — as reported by NBC Sports.
How the final week broke the race open
Pogacar did the decisive damage in the Alps. On Friday's stage 19 he attacked in the final 800 meters on Alpe d'Huez to take his fifth stage win of this Tour, a ride Cycling Weekly reported came with a record ascent of the fabled climb.
Saturday's queen stage belonged to someone else. Ecuador's Richard Carapaz won the brutal 171-kilometer penultimate stage — four major climbs and some 66 kilometers of ascending before a second summit finish at Alpe d'Huez — overhauling American Sepp Kuss late for his second stage victory of the race. Pogacar, notably, didn't chase glory. He rode shepherd for teammate Isaac del Toro, protecting the young Mexican's grip on third place overall behind Evenepoel.
Why it matters
Five Tours would close the argument for Pogacar's place among the sport's giants at age 27 — and with the time trials, the high mountains and five stage wins already banked, this edition ranks among his most complete. The consolation prizes are settled too: Tim Merlier leads the points classification on the back of three sprint wins, with one last dash on the Paris finishing circuit still to come, per Cyclingstage.
Nothing is official until the line is crossed — the final stage is traditionally a parade until the sprinters take over, but the jersey still has to be carried safely to the finish. Expect the champagne to be poured somewhere on the road out of Thoiry.