Tadej Pogacar wins his fourth Tour de France and joins ranks of legends

lovenian Tadej Pogačar won his fourth Tour de France on Sunday, following a final stage in Paris won by Wout van Aert. With this victory, he’s now just one win shy of joining the exclusive group of riders with five Tour titles.

Winner of the "Grande Boucle" in 2020, 2021, 2024, and now 2025, Pogačar has caught up with Britain’s Chris Froome (also with four titles) and is moving at a pace that suggests it won’t be long before he joins the ranks of cycling legends Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Induráin.

The UAE team leader finished the Tour in the yellow jersey for the second consecutive time, leading Denmark’s Jonas Vingegaard by 4 minutes and 24 seconds. On Sunday, he competed for what would have been his fifth stage win in this Tour.

Visma waters UAE's party

But it was Vingegaard’s teammate at Visma who denied him the double on the final day of the Tour. Van Aert, who hadn’t had his best Tour, pulled ahead of Pogačar—also the winner of the best climber’s polka-dot jersey—on the third and final climb to Montmartre, managing to hold enough distance to finish solo, 19 seconds ahead of the yellow jersey, who ultimately placed fourth in the stage.

The Tour returned to the French capital on Sunday after a one-year absence, caused by preparations for the 2024 Olympic Games, which had moved the "Grande Boucle" finish to Nice.

It returned with added excitement, featuring a 1.1-kilometer climb to the picturesque Montmartre district, averaging a 5.9% gradient.

Neutralized times

Rain showed up unexpectedly, leading organizers to neutralize the times with 50 kilometers remaining to protect the safety of the 160 riders who had completed nearly 1900 miles (3,000 kilometers) since the race began in Lille on July 5.

But not even the rain stopped thousands of people from lining the main streets of the French capital in a festive atmosphere, creating unforgettable scenes—like Moulin Rouge dancers performing the cancan in the street, or a painter capturing Pogačar in impressionist style amid the rain on Rue Lepic.

The Tour was decided, but the stage wasn’t. Pogi, who had been unusually conservative during the final week, went out bare-chested, chasing what would have been the 22nd victory of his Tour career.

The Ogre of Komenda led over the Butte Montmartre on the first two passes, but on the third, Van Aert launched a relentless attack against Pogi, who had been unbeatable on the climbs this Tour. Despite the challenge, Pogi finished with a smile and raised arms.

But the road wasn’t easy for the Slovenian, who faced the loss of his lieutenant João Almeida, illness among several teammates, his own cold, and the frequent numerical advantage of the Visma riders leading the main group.

Germany’s Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora) took the white jersey for best young rider and secured third place on the overall podium. He is the first German rider to stand on the Tour de France podium since Andreas Klöden in 2006.

The green points jersey went to Italian Jonathan Milan of Lidl-Trek.