Stefan Tabeling and Felix Schröder, dpa
As the Tour de France drew to a close with a breathtaking finale and Tadej Pogacar’s historic fifth victory, the party got underway not far from the Champs-Élysées. The fabulously wealthy main sponsor from the Emirates had hosted a dinner in the glittering city of Paris; Nils Politt’s team-mates, who had recently been badly shaken, were back on their feet, and Pogacar’s girlfriend Urska Zigart, having recovered from a serious crash, had also attended.
As early as Monday, upon his return to his adopted home of Monaco, the “legend” – as the French sports newspaper *L’Équipe* headlined the Tour dominator – was once again faced with trivial commitments. “I’ve got a bit of housework to do,” Pogacar revealed. He wants to enjoy the little things. After all, he’s already ticked off almost all the big ones.
At the age of just 27, he has joined the exclusive circle of five-time winners alongside the Belgian icon Eddy Merckx, the two Frenchmen Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault, and the Spaniard Miguel Indurain. But that doesn’t really matter much to this exceptional rider. “Whether it’s the fifth or the first Tour, I just want to enjoy the moment; I’m not thinking about history, clubbing or anything like that,” said Pogacar.
Will he be competing in the Vuelta?
He needs a new goal now. Perhaps the Vuelta a España, which he has never won? “If the Vuelta were to start tomorrow, I’d probably say no. But I can still make up my mind in two weeks’ time,” said the world champion. The fact that the third three-week stage race begins right on his doorstep in the Principality probably makes it all the more appealing.
Pogacar wants to gradually fill the few gaps in his track record. “Paris–Roubaix is on my wish list,” he emphasised. Over the past two years, classics specialists Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert have thwarted his plans on the gruelling cobbles. These are the very rivals who snatched the prestigious victory from him on the final stage of the Tour last year (van Aert) and this Sunday (van der Poel). At most, a minor blemish on Pogacar’s record. The 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles are also a target.
Armstrong praises Pogacar
And then there’s Lance Armstrong’s annulled record. Although the seven Tour de France victories of the doping offender – who has been banned for life – have been struck from the history books, they are by no means forgotten by cycling fans. For Armstrong, however, one thing has long been clear: “This lad is the greatest of all time. (...) People often want to talk to me about my career and the history of the Tour, and where I stand in all that. This bloke would wipe the floor with Lance Armstrong. He’s the best of all time. I’d even go so far as to say he’s the most dominant athlete in the whole world,” the Texan praised in his podcast “The Move”.
A compliment that Pogacar might not even want to hear. After all, it comes from a dubious figure who epitomises the darkest chapter in cycling and has long been banned from the Tour.
But Pogacar, too, has to live with suspicion and doubt. His performances are simply too dominant, too extraordinary. In this Tour, the Slovenian has smashed records. He has stormed up the cycling mecca of Alpe d’Huez more than a minute faster than Marco Pantani did 31 years ago – a rider who, as is well known, had the help of EPO and other performance-enhancing drugs.
Doping tests are like a trip to the supermarket
“It would be naïve to celebrate a five-time Tour winner without understanding the context. There is no doubt that Pogacar is a phenomenon, but his entourage is burdened by the legacy of less pleasant times,” wrote *The Guardian*, referring to Pogacar’s controversial team manager, Mauro Gianetti.
The five-time Tour winner can only point to the countless doping tests he has to undergo, even at 5.00 am. “Ever since I’ve been riding the Tour, there have been all sorts of crazy tests. It’s simply become part of my life now. When there’s a knock at the door, my first thought is always: ‘There’s a test going on right now.’ For me, it’s now as routine as a trip to the supermarket.”
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