Tour de France 2026 concludes with Tadej Pogacar’s fifth victory as Mathieu van der Poel wins final stage
Pogacar secures historic fifth Tour de France title
Tadej Pogacar of UAE Team Emirates-XRG has claimed his fifth Tour de France victory, equalling the record for most wins in the endurance event. The Slovenian rider crossed the finish line on Paris’ Champs-Elysees as part of the peloton. This marks Pogacar’s third consecutive Tour win, placing him alongside cycling legends such as Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Indurain.
His dominant performance included a record-breaking ascent of Alpe d’Huez on stage 19, where he secured one of his four stage wins during the race. Pogacar’s career now includes 126 professional victories over eight years, encompassing major races like the Giro d’Italia and Tour of Flanders.
Pogacar expressed his gratitude, stating, “Victory is really special. Thank you to all the fans and my team.” He also acknowledged his family’s support and reflected on his consistent presence on the podium across seven Tours, calling it “something you wouldn’t even maybe write in a story book.”
Van der Poel triumphs in dramatic final stage
The Tour de France’s final stage saw Mathieu van der Poel of Alpecin-Premier Tech secure a dramatic victory in Paris. The Dutch rider charged to the line on the cobbled streets, narrowly beating Mads Pedersen of Lidl-Trek. This win adds to Van der Poel’s list of prestigious one-day race victories, including multiple successes in Paris-Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders.
The final stage, typically a ceremonial ride for overall contenders, featured a circuit over the cobbled Montmartre hill. Van der Poel and Pogacar broke away with 11km remaining, navigating the narrow lanes past Sacre-Coeur. Despite Pogacar eventually fading, Van der Poel maintained his lead against a rapidly closing chasing pack.
The stage was shortened from 133km to 89km due to the redeployment of emergency services to tackle wildfires in south-west France. This adjustment allowed for a more intense and competitive finish on the Champs-Elysees.
Key contenders and jersey winners
Remco Evenepoel of Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe finished second overall, 6 minutes 26 seconds behind Pogacar. Third place went to Pogacar’s teammate, Isaac del Toro, who also claimed the white jersey for the best young rider. Del Toro’s podium finish was aided by Pogacar’s strategic support in crucial stages.
Richard Carapaz of EF Education-Easypost secured the king of the mountains’ polka dot jersey for the second time in his career. He achieved this by topping the race’s highest points and winning stages 18 and 20. Mads Pedersen of Lidl-Trek was awarded the green points jersey, having collected mid-stage points and winning stage four.
British rider Tom Pidcock of Pinarello-Q36.5 finished ninth in the general classification, demonstrating consistent performance. His team, Netcompany Ineos Cycling, did not record a stage victory in 21 attempts this year. Jonas Vingegaard, a previous Tour winner, abandoned the race on stage 15 due to a broken collarbone, an incident that led to scrutiny of the International Testing Agency (ITA).
The final podium saw Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) in first, Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) in second, and Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) in third. Lidl-Trek secured the team classification.
Source: bbc.co.uk
Nathan Crowley is the Sports News Writer at NewsUK, covering rugby union, golf and boxing with six years of reporting experience. He moved from regional newspapers into digital sport. He holds a degree in Journalism from Cardiff University and completed an NCTJ diploma. Based in Cardiff, he plays amateur rugby and follows the Six Nations closely. “Speed and accuracy are not a trade-off in sport news.”
