Pogacar crowned himself one of the Greatest in cycling history
Third Tour de France Victory at Age 25: Tadej Pogacar Belongs to the Greatest in Cycling History Already
Tadej Pogacar grinned mischievously. "I'm not a cannibal! I prefer sweets much more", Pogacar dismissed yet another comparison with Eddy Merckx. His dominance at the 111th Tour de France reminded many of Merckx's legendary days, but Pogacar has long since created his own dynasty: The Brownie- and Bonbon-lover is the relentless marshmallow monster of cycling.
The three weeks between Florence and Nice were a one-man show of the Slovenian, creating "total Pogimania" (L'équipe) in a Tour that set new standards with its quality at the front. "We are living in a golden era of cycling. I couldn't wish for better rivals than Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel", Pogacar said. The 25-year-old shone like a diamond from the peloton.
Originally, the organizers had designed this special Tour de France, which ended in Nice for the first time due to the Olympics, with a heart-stopping finale in Nice. With a mountain finish on Saturday and a grueling time trial on Sunday, it was supposed to be decided there.
However, Pogacar had already taken care of such clear situations. He mastered the mountain stages mercilessly and playfully, and in the finish, he savored his sweet winnings from his clear-sighted backpack. Title defender Vingegaard, who had an impressive Tour despite his severe crash, and Belgium's debutant Evenepoel were fighting for second place early on. The last two days by the Mediterranean were a triumphant parade through Pogacar's homeland for him.
"My entire profile on these roads"
"These are the roads where I've trained my entire profile for years", says the powerhouse cycling king from the small Slovenian village of Klancec with considerable pride in his voice. In the six years of his career so far, Pogacar has raised the cycling world from the depths.
At 21, he was the youngest Tour de France winner in history in 2020, at 22, the youngest double champion, and now, at 25, the youngest triple champion. Merckx was 26 when he won his third of five overall victories. In terms of career achievements at 25, Pogacar is Merckx's equal: Both won four major tours and six monument races before their 26th birthday.
If it hadn't been for Vingegaard, who won the Tour in 2022 and 2023 ahead of Pogacar, the Slovenian would already be part of the club of record winners - alongside Merckx, Jacques Anquetil, Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Indurain, who have all won the Tour five times.
Pogacar "enjoys confrontations"
Pogacar doesn't hide the fact that the two defeats against Vingegaard fuel his duels with the Dane. "I enjoy confrontations", he said: "That motivates me." Although "Pogi vs. Vingo IV" and the first three encounters didn't quite live up to expectations and were decided early on, they were still a source of motivation for the Slovenian.
2021? Pogacar had a 5:20 minute lead, Vingegaard, then Roglic's helper, took the captain role late. 2022? Vingegaard led by 2:43 minutes, Pogacar made a major tactical error. 2023? Pogacar was not top shape after his crash at Liège-Bastogne-Liège, trailing by 7:29 minutes. 2024? Vingegaard was missing some percentage due to injuries.
Perhaps both will be in top form in 2025, carrying on the central duel of a golden era until the end. That would only be in the sense of pure racers like Pogacar: "I have huge respect for Jonas. There's nothing better than this exciting cycling."
Tadej Pogacar's dominance at the Tour de France has led many to draw comparisons with cycling legend Eddy Merckx, but the Slovenian has made his mark with his own achievements. At only 25 years old, Pogacar has already clinched three Tour de France titles, matching Merckx's career achievements at a similar age in terms of major tour and monument race victories.
Cycling enthusiasts worldwide are eagerly anticipating potential duels between Pogacar and his rival Jonas Vingegaard, who has also shown impressive form in recent Tours. The cycling world is currently experiencing a golden era, with both Pogacar and Vingegaard shining brightly on the peloton.
