CYCLING: Pogacar wins fifth Tour, helps Del Toro finish third

PARIS – Tadej Pogacar captured his fifth Tour de France title on Sunday, matching the all-time record and claiming his third straight championship with another commanding performance that highlighted both his strength and his growth as a teammate.

Unlike last year's Tour, when Pogacar admitted he struggled with knee issues and appeared frustrated during the final week, the Slovenian rode with confidence and enthusiasm throughout this year's race. Much of his motivation came from helping UAE Team Emirates-XRG teammate Isaac del Toro secure a podium finish.

Pogacar's relaxed attitude was evident throughout the three-week race. On Saturday, he left the post-race press conference singing "Torito," a nod to Del Toro, reflecting the strong bond between the two riders.

His dominance was apparent from the opening stages. Pogacar even allowed Del Toro to take victory in Stage 2 in Barcelona instead of chasing valuable bonus seconds for himself.

The 27-year-old finished the Tour with five stage victories, increasing his career total to 26 stage wins in seven Tour de France appearances. He established his advantage early during Stage 6 over the Col du Tourmalet and widened the gap in Stage 10 at Le Lioran, where he held a lead of more than two and a half minutes over Danish rival Jonas Vingegaard.

The race changed dramatically when Vingegaard withdrew after crashing during Stage 15. Earlier that day, both riders had been awakened overnight for anti-doping tests, though Pogacar drew criticism from some competitors after expressing little opposition to the late-night testing.

With Vingegaard out of contention, Pogacar shifted more of his focus toward helping Del Toro while continuing to collect victories on some of the Tour's toughest mountain stages, including Le Markstein in Stage 14 and the iconic Alpe d'Huez in Stage 19.

Once his overall victory was virtually assured, Pogacar worked selflessly for Del Toro. On Stage 15, he paced the Mexican rider up the Plateau de Solaison, while Belgium's Remco Evenepoel claimed the stage victory. During Saturday's penultimate stage, Pogacar again supported Del Toro, helping him strengthen his hold on third place overall behind Evenepoel and ahead of France's Paul Seixas.

Pogacar said Del Toro deserved the support after playing an important role in his own championship campaign.

"Maybe people will talk about how I helped Isaac to arrive on the podium but first of all, he helped me to arrive in yellow," Pogacar said. "It was an honor to ride for Isaac. I realized how hard it is to work for somebody else."

The pair crossed the finish line together while making a "bull salute" in honor of Del Toro's nickname.

Del Toro, 22, impressed in his Tour de France debut by finishing third overall, adding to his runner-up finish at the 2025 Giro d'Italia. His performance demonstrated the depth of talent within UAE Team Emirates-XRG and suggested the team is well positioned for the future.

Pogacar, whose contract runs through 2030, praised his young teammate but urged patience.

"He’s still young, he’s a quick learner, super smart and has a big talent and big engine, so let’s see where the road takes us," Pogacar said.

After winning five Tour de France titles and the 2024 Giro d'Italia, Pogacar now needs only the Vuelta a España to complete cycling's Grand Tour triple crown and further strengthen his place among the sport's greatest champions. -Reporting by Vincent Daheron in Paris, editing by Clare Fallon/Reuters