By Roger Childs
The 27-year-old UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider crossed the line on Paris’ Champs-Elysees in the peloton, to join Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain as the endurance event’s most successful male riders. Matt Warwick, BBC Sport
Pogacar unbeatable
All the world’s cycling experts picked the Slovenian to win and he duly obliged to join four legends in picking up a fifth victory. This year’s Tour de France started in Barcelona and covered 3230km in 21 stages before finishing in Paris last weekend.
One of the big unknowns is always survival, especially as crashes and pile-ups are common, and top riders can be forced out because of injury. This year 2022 and 2023 champion Jonas Vingegaard from Denmark was forced to abandon the Tour in the third week. Pogacar was quite upset: “It’s a shame Jonas crashed out this time and many others. I hope they have a quick recovery and next year we fight again.”
Tadej Pogacar had his anticipated successful tour and always seemed able to catch the leaders if he got behind, especially on the massive mountain climbs. “Victory is really special,” said Pogacar. “Thank you to all the fans and my team. But the biggest thanks goes to all my family who support me all my life. My parents – without them I would not be standing here five times already.
“Seven Tours and seven times on the podium, and five wins, is something you wouldn’t even … write in a story book, and it’s unbelievable for me.”
The battle on the streets of Paris
The final 21st stage was reduced from 133km to 89km because some emergency services from the capital were needed to help tackle wild fires in south-west France.
Organisers introduced a circuit which took on a cobbled climb over the city’s famous Montmartre hill and passed the iconic Sacre-Coeur Cathedral, changing the route enough to allow the heavier, more powerful riders to challenge for victory. The finish was the usual desparate race on the Champs Elysees, but this year it was not a bunch sprint.
Pogacar was clearly keen to win the final dash, but for once the Slovenian wasn’t quite up to it. After a thrilling battle through the huge crowds in the narrow city streets notably in Montmatre where some fans had cell phones knocked out of their hands, Belgian Mathieu van der Poel got away from Pogacar in the last kilometre to take the coveted final sprint from a fast finishing Jasper Philipsen.
Worthy champions
The top three riders in the overall Tour’ general classification were
1. Tadej Pogacar, Slovenia 73hrs 56mins 26secs
2. Remco Evenepoel, Belgium +6mins 26secs
3. Isaac del Toro, Mexico +9mins 42secs
One of the most entertaining riders in theTour was Ecuador’s Richard Carapas. He struggled early in the race before coming into great form in the last few stages to claim the king of the mountains’ polka dot jersey. He won stage 18 and Saturday’s stage 20 after topping the race’s highest point in the French Alps – the legendary Alp d’Huez first, after 5,450km of climbing and 21 hairpin bends.
The green points jersey was won by Denmark’s Mads Pedersen, after tenacious riding on climbs he is not typically strong on to sweep up mid-stage points, alongside winning stage four.
He beat a number of top sprinters to the jersey, including Belgian Jasper Philipsen. The Belgian won stage 17 and fellow countryman Tim Merlier won three bunch sprint stages.
Still as popular as ever
Millions watched the race from the sides of roads, footpaths, and mountain sides, and on television, and there was the usual huge trade in the famed yellow, green and white jerseys. However, the most popular top is always the King of the Mountains polka dot jersey.