Tadej Pogačar wins fourth Tour de France, one off all-time record

Australia Broadcast Center

7 days ago

Tadej Pogačar appears on the verge of emulating cycling great Eddy Merckx after his fourth Tour de France win, but the Slovenian says he is in no rush to chase history, warning that the risk of burnout looms large in one of the most mentally and physically demanding sports.
The 26-year-old sealed his fourth Tour de France title after three more weeks of dominance, but admitted fatigue crept in during the final days.
"We were comfortably in the yellow, but yeah, I was a bit tired in the last week, to be honest," Pogačar told a press conference, adding he wanted to enjoy the moment in Paris rather than dissect mistakes.
While his achievements have already placed him among the all-time greats in the race's 122-year history, Pogačar said cycling's relentless calendar and obsession with training create a dangerous cycle that could leave riders drained.
"Burnouts happen in sports, in a lot of sports, mental burnout, physical burnout. We train a lot. Cyclists are sometimes too obsessed with training, and everybody wants to train more and more and more," he said.
The world champion warned over-training combined with constant racing demands could trap riders in a cycle of fatigue that rarely allowed time for recovery.
"You see some riders have fatigue too early in the season and then the team needs you to race, race, race. In the end, you just keep going into this circle and you never recover," the UAE Emirates-XRG rider said.
"Then you come to October and you're like, finally a break. And then in December, you're trying to do it all over again."
For Pogačar, that risk is why he refuses to set lofty targets such as joining Merckx, Miguel Induráin, Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault with five Tour titles.
"Obviously it's not the goal to win five tours. Right now, I have no clear goals. Maybe the world championships this year and [the Tour of] Lombardy, but for now I just enjoy the moment and will think about the next goals quite soon," he said.
Pogačar also credited rival Jonas Vingegaard, saying their five-year duel was a privilege and pushed both "to the next level".
It is the first time two riders finish first and second in five consecutive Tours, Vingegaard having beaten Pogačar in 2022 and 2023 while the Slovenian edged his rival out this year, in 2021 and 2024.
After three gruelling weeks, Pogačar savoured the relaxed final stage in Paris.
"Today was pure racing and I enjoyed it quite a bit," he said with a smile.
Ben O'Connor was the best-placed Australian, finishing 11th, 34 minutes and 34 seconds behind Pogačar.
Reuters