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Pogacar Wins Record‑Equalling Fifth Tour de France

Wildfire-driven police redeployment shortened the Paris finale, enabling Pogacar to finish safely

Cycling - Tour de France - Stage 21 - Paris, France - July 26, 2026 UAE Team Emirates XRG's Tadej Pogacar wearing the yellow jersey celebrates after completing stage 21 REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq
Cycling - Tour de France - Stage 21 - Paris, France - July 26, 2026 UAE Team Emirates XRG's Tadej Pogacar wearing the yellow jersey in action with other cyclists as they ride past the Arc de Triomphe during stage 21 REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes
Cycling - Tour de France - Stage 21 - Paris, France - July 26, 2026 UAE Team Emirates XRG's Tadej Pogacar wearing the yellow jersey and UAE Team Emirates XRG's Isaac Del Toro wearing the white jersey in action with other cyclists during stage 21 REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq
Tadej Pogacar joined Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain as the most successful riders in Tour de France history

Overview

  • Pogacar secured his fifth overall Tour title on Sunday by safely completing the shortened final stage and finished 6 minutes 26 seconds ahead of Remco Evenepoel in the general classification.
  • Organisers cut the planned 133km Stage 21 to about 89km after wildfires in southwest France required the Interior Ministry and Paris police to redeploy security and emergency personnel.
  • Mathieu van der Poel won the revised final stage in Paris, while Richard Carapaz took Stage 20 on Alpe d'Huez and clinched the King of the Mountains polka‑dot jersey.
  • Stage 20 featured dramatic incidents that shaped the podium: Sepp Kuss crashed twice in the closing kilometres and was saved from a serious fall by roadside netting, and Jonas Vingegaard abandoned the race earlier after a Stage 15 crash.
  • Isaac Del Toro finished third overall and won the young‑rider white jersey, Pogacar extended his Tour records with five stage wins and 26 career stage victories, and his fifth title cements his status among the sport's all‑time leaders.