Tadej Pogačar secured his fifth Tour de France victory on Sunday, joining an elite group of five-time champions while maintaining that he is not focused on historical legacies or celebratory nightlife. According to a post-race press conference reported by Cyclingnews, the 27-year-old Slovenian cyclist stated he was simply looking forward to returning home and enjoying the smaller aspects of life after crossing the finish line in Paris wearing the yellow jersey.
With this triumph, Pogačar matches the historical benchmark set by cycling legends Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Indurain. Despite entering the history books for the Grande Boucle, Pogačar told reporters he felt unconcerned with the milestone. “Right now I just want to enjoy the moment of winning the Tour,” Pogačar said, according to Cyclingnews. “If it’s my fifth, or my first, it doesn’t matter. It’s unbelievable to wear the yellow jersey in Paris and cross the line wearing it.”
Post-Tour Plans and Criterium Schedule
Unlike many professional riders who capitalize on their success through lucrative post-Tour criterium circuits in Asia and Europe, Pogačar intends to bypass commercial exhibition events. Cyclingnews reported that he has only once participated in the ASO’s late-season Asian criteriums, doing so in 2023 when he did not wear the yellow jersey.
Instead, Pogačar’s post-race itinerary centers around his home town of Komenda, Slovenia. According to Cyclingnews, he will host a local criterium race on Friday featuring special guests from the Tour de France, followed by the Pogi Challenge amateur ride on Sunday. The weekend events are organized to raise funds for the Tadej Pogačar Foundation.
Following his homecoming in Slovenia, Pogačar stated he hopes to attend stages of the Tour de France Femmes to support his partner, professional rider Urška Žigart, who competes for AG Insurance-Soudal, as reported by Cyclingnews.
Reflecting on Burnout and the Vuelta a España Question
Pogačar contrasted his current physical and mental state with his exhaustion at the conclusion of the previous year’s Tour. According to Cyclingnews, he acknowledged the ongoing threat of athletic burnout, noting that chronic fatigue strips the joy from riding and turns the sport into a mechanical job.
Regarding a potential start at the Vuelta a España beginning in Monaco on August 22, Pogačar has not yet committed to the final Grand Tour missing from his palmares. “Right now, if the Vuelta starts tomorrow I say no, but in two weeks I can still decide,” Pogačar told Cyclingnews, emphasizing the need to keep his feet on the ground rather than pursuing history at all costs.
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