Now it's official. Tadej Pogacar is the king of the 2026 Tour de France. The Slovenian from UAE Team Emirates-XRG has conquered his fifth Grande Boucle, definitively entering the history of cycling and joining the most exclusive club ever, that of riders capable of winning the world's most important race five times. Before him, only Eddy Merckx, Jacques Anquetil, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain had managed it.

He was already the great favorite on the eve of the start from Barcelona and, over the course of the three-week race, he never gave the impression of losing control of the situation. No moments of difficulty, no hesitation, no tactical errors. Stage after stage, he built his success with the naturalness of the greatest champions, dominating the race and leaving his opponents only the places of honor.

For Pogacar, this is his fifth victory in just seven Tour de France participations. An impressive statistic, made even more extraordinary by another fact: in all his participations, he has always finished on the final podium.

«It was an incredible day - he said at the end of the final stage - I am speechless. The atmosphere was fantastic. I'm happy that it's all over and that I've won my fifth Tour de France».

Then he reflected on what he had just accomplished. «Every Tour victory is special. In seven participations, I've finished on the podium seven times and won five editions. Not even a fairy tale writer could invent a story like this. For me too, it's something incredible».

A success built thanks to extraordinary talent, but also through the daily work of a team that, once again, proved to be the strongest at the Tour.
«There are many reasons behind this victory - explained the Slovenian champion - The most important is doing what you love and having people around you that you can trust. People who help and support you especially in difficult moments. Only this way can you grow and truly chase your dreams».

Pogacar then wanted to pay tribute to his opponents, starting with Remco Evenepoel, author of an extraordinary Tour that ended in second place, and young Isaac Del Toro, his teammate who secured a final podium finish and the white jersey. «It's a truly beautiful podium. I was fortunate to compete with great champions».

Among the Slovenian's thoughts was also space for Jonas Vingegaard, forced to withdraw during the race.
«I'm very sorry that Jonas couldn't finish the Tour. I wish him a speedy recovery, as well as all the other riders who were forced to stop. I hope to be able to race against them again soon».

When asked what his next career objectives would be, Pogacar smiled.
«Now I need to find a new dream. But one has just come true, so for now I don't want to think about the future yet».

Among the most curious moments of the awards ceremony was his speech from the final podium. After greeting the crowd with an impeccable «Bonsoir», the Slovenian surprised everyone with a confession.

«I had prepared a speech in French. I had studied the language for two days, but unfortunately, due to some circumstances, I couldn't remember it».

Pogacar then added, with a smile that left room for various interpretations: «I was too sick to remember it».

A joke or a revelation? In the final days of the Tour, a flu-like illness had spread within UAE Team Emirates-XRG and there had also been talk of a possible illness affecting the Slovenian champion. His performances, culminating in the extraordinary victory on Alpe d'Huez, had however quickly dispelled any doubts about his state of health. Only at the end of the race did Pogacar hint that, indeed, something had not gone quite right in the final week.

If he really raced with some fever or flu symptoms, his Tour takes on even more extraordinary dimensions.
With five victories at the Grande Boucle and just 27 years old, Tadej Pogacar has already written one of the most important pages in the history of cycling. The feeling is that his journey is far from over. Because the Slovenian champion continues to win with the same naturalness with which he tackles every climb, and watching him race, it's natural to think that this fifth Tour de France may represent not a finish line, but only another stage of a career destined to definitively enter legend.