Slovenia’s Tadej Pogačar Secures Fourth Tour de France Victory
Tadej Pogacar won his fourth Tour de France title by a comfortable margin after Sunday’s final stage, which he tried to win even though he did not need to.
The 26-year-old Slovenian rider won the Tour last year and in 2020 and 2021.
“Just speechless to win the Tour de France, this one feels especially amazing,” he said. “Just super proud that I can wear this yellow jersey.”
Two-time Tour champion Jonas Vinegaard finished the overall race 4 minutes, 24 seconds behind Pogacar in second place and Florian Lipowitz was 11 minutes adrift in third.
Belgian rider Wout van Aert won the 21st and last stage, which broke with tradition and featured three climbs of Montmartre hill.
Because of the risk of heavy rain and crashes, organizers had earlier decided to neutralize the times 50 kilometres from the end, effectively giving Pogacar the victory — but providing he crossed the finish line.
Pogacar had no need to contest the stage win, especially given the danger of crashing on slick roads. Yet as the rain fell heavily, he showed his relentless thirst for victory and attacked anyway, setting a tremendous pace in the Montmartre climbs as fans cheered all along the cobbled Rue Lepic, with flags and fans hanging out of windows.
Only five riders were left with Pogacar on the third ascension of the 1.1-kilometre Montmartre hill.Only four riders have won the showcase race five times: Belgian Eddy Merckx, Spaniard Miguel Indurain and Frenchmen Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault.
Pogačar won four stages this year to take his Tour tally to 21 and 30 at major races, including six at the Giro d’Italia and three at the Spanish Vuelta.
The UAE Team Emirates leader praised his teammates.
“I think the second week was the decisive moment,” Pogačar said. “We took more advantage and went more comfortably into the third week.”
Lipowitz, meanwhile, secured his first career podium at a Grand Tour, the alternative name given to the three major races.
His performance, following his third-placed finish last month at the Criterium du Dauphine, suggests the 24-year-old German rider could challenge in the near future.
