Pogacar Claims Fifth Tour Title as Van der Poel Wins Shortened Montmartre Finale

Overview

• Tadej Pogacar secured his fifth Tour de France victory, finishing the 113th edition 6 minutes 26 seconds ahead of Remco Evenepoel with Isaac Del Toro third.
• Mathieu van der Poel won the 21st stage on the Champs-Élysées after a dramatic run that included three climbs of Montmartre and a photo‑finish over Jasper Philipsen.
• Race organisers reduced the final stage from 132.5 km to 89 km to redeploy security resources to fight large wildfires, notably in Gironde, and they froze general classification times before the first ascent of Montmartre.
• The repeated climbs of rue Lepic drew tens of thousands of vocal spectators and have renewed calls from officials and the mayor of Paris to consider Montmartre as a regular feature of the Paris finish.
• The edition underscored wider sporting themes: no French rider won a stage for only the third time in Tour history, 19‑year‑old Paul Seixas finished fourth overall, and Pogacar’s fifth title places him alongside the sport’s four earlier five‑time winners.