Pogacar is now eternal: fifth Tour and a place among the greatest in history

Tadej Pogacar is now part of the most exclusive history of the Tour de France. The Slovenian conquered his fifth yellow jersey this Sunday, the third in a row, equaling the record of victories held by Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Induráin. At just 27 years old, he is also the youngest rider to reach this figure and still has room to become the most decorated cyclist in the history of the race.

Tadej Pogacar enters history: conquers his fifth Tour de France with a display and now belongs to the “club of five”

The 2026 edition confirmed once again that Pogacar is at the peak of his career. He won five stages, was the strongest in the mountains, and resolved the general classification from the first week, leaving rivals like Remco Evenepoel and the rest of the podium contenders without answers.

But this Tour also left an unusual image of the champion. Even before the overall victory was practically assured, starting from the second stage, he chose to race with the team and for Isaac Del Toro, the young Mexican who finished third in the general classification.

A Tour dominated from start to finish

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Pogacar's superiority was evident from the first major mountain stages. The leader of the UAE Team Emirates-XRG built decisive gaps in the key stages and responded with authority whenever the race intensified.

Throughout the three weeks, he accumulated five stage wins, consolidated a wide lead, first over Vingegaard until he withdrew, and then over Evenepoel. He never gave a sense of weakness, even on days when the team had to manage physical issues of several of his teammates.

His dominance was particularly evident in the major mountain finishes, where he once again demonstrated that he remains the benchmark of the world peloton when the road points uphill. And he proved it at Alpe d’Huez   with the greatest show of this Tour and also earned him the record of this mythical climb.

The champion who also worked for a teammate

If there was one thing that distinguished this Tour from Pogacar's other victories, it was his approach to the race's conclusion.

He first did it in Barcelona, in the second stage, and then, with the yellow jersey practically assured, the Slovenian renounced the stage victory in the Alps to help Isaac Del Toro defend the third place in the general classification against Paul Seixas.

In the last mountain stage, he controlled the pace of the favorites' group, responded to moves that could jeopardize the Mexican's podium, and stayed by his side until the finish, ensuring he crossed the line with enough margin.

Afterward, he acknowledged that seeing Del Toro finish third was one of the most special moments of the entire Tour.

Pogacar explained that achieving two riders from UAE Team Emirates-XRG on the podium was a goal that seemed very difficult at the start of the race and stated that he felt especially happy about the performance of the young Mexican.

Pogacar points to Del Toro as one of the big names of the future

After securing his teammate's podium, Pogacar also surprised with his statements about the future.

The Slovenian stated that he has no intention of competing for many more years and pointed directly to Isaac Del Toro as one of the riders destined to take over when he leaves cycling.

According to him, the Mexican has “incredible potential and talent” and he is convinced that he will be one of the best riders in the peloton in the coming years.

His words drew attention because Pogacar is only 27 years old and could still have a long career ahead, but they reflect the enormous confidence he has in Del Toro's progression.

A growing palmarès

With this victory, Pogacar now has five Tour de France wins (2020, 2021, 2024, 2025, and 2026) and continues to expand a career that is already among the best of all time.

In addition to the fifth yellow jersey, the Slovenian raised his count of stage wins in the Tour to 26, a figure that confirms his ability to dominate both the general classification and the most demanding stages.

And he does this while still being at an age when many great champions had not yet reached their best version.

What is the “club of five”?

The so-called “club of five” brings together the only cyclists who have managed to win the Tour de France five times, the most prestigious race on the calendar.

Until 2026, only four riders had reached that figure:

• Jacques Anquetil (France): 1957, 1961, 1962, 1963, and 1964
• Eddy Merckx (Belgium): 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, and 1974
• Bernard Hinault (France): 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, and 1985
• Miguel Induráin (Spain): 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, and 1995

With his victory in 2026, Tadej Pogacar becomes the fifth member of this group and the first to join since Miguel Induráin's historic fifth win more than three decades ago.

Unlike the other four champions, the Slovenian has reached this figure at just 27 years old, so he still has room to become the first rider in history capable of conquering a sixth Tour de France.