The 2026 Tour de France is now in the hands of Tadej Pogacar. After the twentieth stage, with the finish at Alpe d'Huez, the Slovenian can finally savor the certainty of having conquered, barring unforeseen accidents, his fifth Grande Boucle. Only the final act remains, the most anticipated and symbolic one: crossing the finish line in Paris.

Because the tradition of the Tour is clear: the race is won only when you cross the finish line of the last stage. Only then will the champion be able to raise his arms to the sky and definitively wear the yellow jersey. At that point Pogacar will enter even more into cycling history, joining the legendary club of five Tour de France victories, alongside Eddy Merckx, Jacques Anquetil, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain.

But knowing the Slovenian superstar, the final day will not be a simple procession. Although the overall victory represents the main objective, Pogacar has not hidden his interest in also winning the stage in the French capital, especially considering the new route that will cross the Montmartre climb multiple times. «We'll see how I feel tomorrow - he explained at the end of the twentieth stage - I won't take risks. This year, however, there's no Wout van Aert, so I'll have one less important opponent. Winning the stage is not my main objective, but if I have good legs and don't need to take unnecessary risks, I'll try to win».

Before thinking about the final stage, however, the UAE Team Emirates-XRG champion experienced a day different from usual. For once he was not the absolute captain of the team, but chose to put himself completely at the service of teammate Isaac Del Toro, accompanying him to the finish line to defend his splendid third place in the general classification and the white jersey for best young rider. A gesture that perfectly tells the spirit with which UAE Emirates has approached these three weeks.

«Now everyone will talk about how I helped Isaac reach the podium - Pogacar recounted - But the truth is different: it's him who helped me win the yellow jersey».

Words that only partially surprise, because the Slovenian wanted to pay tribute to the entire team that accompanied him to the gates of his fifth Tour victory. «All my teammates were fundamental. Nils Politt and Florian Vermeersch always stayed with me in the flat stages. Tim Wellens and Felix Großschartner were our road captains, making the most important decisions during the race. Brandon McNulty helped us from the start of the Tour and we must not forget the work he did, even though he couldn't continue with us».

The work done for Del Toro in the last major mountain stage left a particular memory with Pogacar himself. «It was an honor to race for Isaac in the last hour and a half of the race. I did it with great pleasure and I realized how difficult it is to work completely for another rider. Crossing the finish line together with him will remain one of the most beautiful memories of this Tour». A Tour that the Slovenian judges as almost perfect. «I believe I rode a great race, as did the entire team. It's true, some of our opponents were unlucky, but that's part of the Tour de France. In three weeks anything can happen. We stayed united from the first to the last day and now only the final stage remains». Among the rivals who impressed him most is undoubtedly Remco Evenepoel, protagonist of a Tour of the highest level and now very close to the final second place.

Pogacar spent words of great esteem for the Belgian. «Remco has always been a champion and is one of the best riders in the world. He fully deserves this second place. He has a different mentality compared to mine and that of Jonas Vingegaard, but he has a very long career ahead and I'm sure he will continue to win a lot». Words that confirm the great mutual respect between two of the main protagonists of modern cycling. Now, however, only the final act remains. Eighty-eight kilometers separate Tadej Pogacar from the fifth Tour de France of his career. Barring any surprises, on Sunday the Slovenian will be crowned king of the Grande Boucle once again, definitively entering the elite of the greatest champions in history.

And knowing his competitive spirit, it's not ruled out that the UAE Team Emirates-XRG champion will try to make this edition even more memorable, going in search of the final stage victory in Paris as well. It would be the perfect way to close a Tour dominated from start to finish and write another unforgettable page of his extraordinary career.