With a fourth Tour de France victory, Tadej Pogacar has matched Chris Froome’s record and is now just one win away from legends Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Indurain, all five-time winners. Four is also the number of stages won by the world champion this year, less hungry than in 2024 when he claimed six victories. This year, the Maillot Jaune revealed several sides of himself, including that of a focused and responsible team leader. A new “Pogi.”
At just 26 years old, with all eight of his Grand Tours ending on the podium, “Professor Pogi” could already publish a manual for aspiring champions about the many ways to win the Tour de France. The 2025 edition could serve as a textbook example of the Pogacar method, where flair and calculation intertwined; where undeniable dominance coexisted with occasional (minor) scares. Master Pogacar remained true to his foundational principle: “Cycling is a game.” That philosophy was especially applied to the route offered to him throughout the first week, offered to his ambition as an extension of an exceptional spring classics season in which he even discovered Paris-Roubaix. No cobblestones this time, but sharp climbs and perfect sequences for staging another round of his duel with Mathieu Van der Poel.
The most iconic illustration of this rivalry can be seen in Rouen's finish-line photo, one that would likely be prominently displayed in a future Pogacar museum. Just two days after his rival claimed victory in Boulogne-sur-Mer, and after handing over the polka dot jersey to teammate Tim Wellens, Tadej lit up the screen with his 100th professional win, in Jacques Anquetil’s hometown. The world champion let out a raw and authentic roar of joy. Behind him, to the right, appears as the runner-up MVDP wearing his Maillot Jaune. On his left, Jonas Vingegaard takes third, already in the main character’s shadow, relegated to the role of supportive actor.
The scene painted along the Seine takes on a new dimension the next day in Calvados during the Caen time trial, where the same narrative unfolds. Though outpaced by Remco Evenepoel, the Slovenian already begins to build his victory by distancing his Danish rival by 1’13’’. After a first day in yellow, Pogacar temporarily yields the lead to Ben Healy and puts on his rainbow jersey again for the finish at Mûr-de-Bretagne. Another prophetic image is captured on the line: Tadej in front, fist raised; Jonas just behind, best of the rest, but unable to beat the undisputed No. 1.
After his time trial win at Peyragudes, Pogacar’s lead over Vingegaard stood at 4’07’’, increasing by only 17 more seconds over the final eight stages.
Through just a few photos, it seemed the Tour was already written before the high mountains even began. Yet the Toulouse stage served as a stark reminder of how fragile the leader’s position can be. With 6 km to go, Tobias Johannessen lightly touched Pogacar’s front wheel, sending him crashing to the pavement, his shoulder slamming into a traffic island… but man and machine held strong, just barely!
The news the next morning was more than reassuring as he remounted for the second act of his triumph. The Hautacam climb would no longer haunt him like it did in 2022. Master of the Pyrenees and determined to remain so, Pogacar flipped the switch into full dominance mode. At 12.5 km from the summit, he launched his assault, demolishing his rivals: 2’10’’ ahead of Vingegaard, 3’35’’ of Evenepoel, and 4’08’’ of Roglic! The message was just as clear the next day. After his win in the Peyragudes time trial, his lead was logged at 4’07’’, and would only grow by 17 more seconds across the final eight stages.
It was then that the world met a new “Pogi.” Gone was the insatiable attacker, welcome was the strategist. On the road and in interviews, the Maillot Jaune openly acknowledged he was “riding defensively” and “staying focused on Jonas’s wheel.” Strategy replaced spectacle, with a sole goal in mind: final victory. It marked a departure from the trophy-collector image of old, who once handed out punishment to his fellow riders. Pogacar chose to conserve both his energy and that of his team, a decision that pleased Thymen Arensman, who won two mountain stages thanks to this approach. The idea was also to save energy for a final demonstration of strength, judging by the explosive effort Pogacar did on the three climbs up Rue Lepic, until Wout van Aert delivered an unstoppable counterattack. The flair hasn’t vanished, and all signs point to a promising Flanders classics campaign. A good way to wait for July 2026.
