"Tadej Pogacar claims fourth Tour de France victory in Paris triumph"

Tadej Pogacar Claims Fourth Tour de France Title in Paris

Tadej Pogacar secured his fourth Tour de France victory after the concluding stage from Mantes-la-Ville to the Champs Élysées.

The 26-year-old, previously triumphant in 2020, 2021, and 2024, finished nearly four and a half minutes ahead of his closest competitor, Jonas Vingegaard. Both riders agreed this edition was the most challenging they had faced. Germany’s Florian Lipowitz, competing in his first Tour, took third, while Scotland’s Oscar Onley ended in fourth place overall.

Wout van Aert won the final stage after breaking away and overtaking Pogacar with 6km remaining. The race was neutralized with 50km to go due to heavy rain, which made the cobbled roads of Montmartre dangerous for the riders.

Pogacar, who claimed stage wins in Rouen, Mûr-de-Bretagne, Hautacam, and Peyragudes, has solidified his status as the most dominant rider of his era. His recent achievements include the 2024 Giro d’Italia, the 2024 World Road Race Championships, and victories in prestigious one-day races like Liège-Bastogne-Liège and the Tour of Flanders, along with stage races such as Paris-Nice and the Criterium du Dauphiné.

"It was a great race, and I’m glad the organizers neutralized the general classification time so no one had to take unnecessary risks," Pogacar said. "Wout was incredibly strong today—his attack on the climb was impressive, and he fully deserves this win."

"I’m happy it’s over, but I loved every moment of the Tour. I’ll miss it next week. Wearing the yellow jersey was an honor," he added.

Since his debut victory in 2020, Pogacar has won 21 Tour stages. When questioned about the legitimacy of his dominance, Tour director Christian Prudhomme acknowledged cycling’s history of skepticism but defended Pogacar’s achievements.

"Pogacar finished third in the Vuelta a España at just 20 and became the youngest Tour winner since 1904 in 2020. He excels from February to October, winning Classics, competing with Mathieu van der Poel in Paris-Roubaix, and dominating mountain stages against Jonas Vingegaard. We expected a tighter battle, but it didn’t happen," Prudhomme said.

Pogacar and Vingegaard may face off again in this year’s Vuelta (August 23 to September 14), though Pogacar has yet to confirm his participation. "It’s a difficult decision," Pogacar said. "I’ve always focused on the Tour, but I’d like to ride the Vuelta someday. I’ll decide after the Tour, once everything settles down."