Tadej Pogacar tells rivals he is ‘improving a lot’ after fifth Tour de France win

Tadej Pogacar joined the small club of five-time Tour de France champions in a final stage in Paris that was neutralised by concerns over safety due to the threat of rain on the cobbles of the Butte de Montmartre.

Pogacar’s dominant success, his fifth win in seven years, left Remco Evenepoel of Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe and the Slovene’s UAE Emirates XRG teammate Isaac del Toro as the only others to finish within 10 minutes of his winning time.

Pogacar’s achievements now rank with those of Eddy Merckx, another of the five-time winners and widely accepted as cycling’s greatest champion. The 27-year-old’s record-equalling fifth win was celebrated in a specially designed all-yellow kit, featuring the number five.

“You get more experience, you deal with things differently, there are small things that are improving,” Pogacar said, “but it’s the details that sometimes count, the mood and emotions. I think this is where I am improving a lot.”

He paid tribute to the efforts of his teammates, several of whom spent the second half of the Tour fighting off sickness. “Massive respect for what all of the guys have been doing over the last three weeks. I already appreciated the work of my teammates but now it’s another level and I must say thank you to every single one of them.”

Pogacar hinted that he was again contemplating retirement. “I will definitely not be doing this for a long time,” he said, suggesting that his teammate Del Toro was his natural successor. “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. I’m happy to be with him in the team and that we can ride like this together.”

Evenepoel, the Olympic road and time trial champion, who had faced a lot of scepticism over his ability to challenge Pogacar, said he had come to the Tour to “make the podium”. The runner-up added: “I’m happiest with the performances I delivered over the last two weeks. I knew I wanted to step up, starting from the Vosges stage. I don’t think I had any weak moments from that point on. Overall, I’m very happy with my Tour.

“I’m proving once again that all the comments and criticisms were wrong. I finished third two years ago. I finished second this year. I won the Vuelta. I think that’s not too bad for someone who supposedly isn’t a Grand Tour rider.”

Remco Evenepoel (left), Tadej Pogacar and Isaac del Toro celebrate on the Champs-Élysées. Photograph: Bernard Papon/EPA

Del Toro, who won the best young rider classification, ahead of Paul Seixas, paid tribute to his team leader. “There was sickness in the team,” the Mexican said. “I tried to prevent people from noticing I was weaker, saying I was OK, but it wasn’t true. My teammates took care of me. I don’t know why they supported me this much. Tadej has shown how good a friend he is. I can’t feel more privileged than I feel today.

“It’s beautiful to carry this white jersey to Paris. We were here to fight to try and win it, and I’m super happy I have been able to perform at the level they wanted me to be at. From now on, I just want to enjoy the moment. The suffering is past me.”