Pogacar Set to Claim Fifth Tour de France Victory in Historic Final Stage

Tadej Pogacar stands on the verge of securing his fifth Tour de France championship, equaling a record shared by cycling’s greatest champions, as the 2024 edition reaches its concluding stage Sunday. The 27-year-old Slovenian rider commands an insurmountable advantage of 6 minutes and 26 seconds over his nearest competitor, positioning him to join an exclusive group that includes Belgian legend Eddy Merckx, Spaniard Miguel Indurain, and Frenchmen Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault.

Pogacar’s lead appears virtually insurmountable absent an unexpected crash or mechanical failure during the final stage, a 88.7-kilometer loop around Paris beginning shortly before 6 p.m. local time. Belgian rider Remco Evenepoel holds second place, while Mexican rookie Isaac Del Toro, a 22-year-old teammate at UAE Team Emirates, sits third, nearly 10 minutes adrift of the leader.

The final stage retraces a familiar route through Paris, including the celebrated Montmartre climb—a steep 1-kilometer ascent tackled three times before concluding on the iconic Champs-Élysées. Pogacar enters Sunday having won five stages during the race and 26 stages overall throughout his career.

Pogacar’s primary rival, two-time Tour champion Jonas Vingegaard, was forced to abandon the competition last Sunday following a crash during stage 15. The season has proven remarkably successful for Pogacar, who earlier captured the Tour de Suisse, Tour de Romandie, and the 2024 Giro d’Italia by a decisive margin, though the Spanish Vuelta remains beyond his grasp in completing cycling’s Grand Tour trifecta.