Tadej Pogacar secured his fifth Tour de France victory in Paris on Sunday, joining an elite group of five-time winners: Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Induráin. The Slovenian world champion put any suspense to rest on stage six with a decisive attack on the Col du Tourmalet, opening a lead that proved insurmountable.
Pogacar's Dominant Victory
The 2026 Tour featured an epic battle for the green jersey between Mads Pedersen and Jasper Philipsen, but the yellow jersey contest was decided early. With 42km of stage six remaining, Pogacar dislodged Jonas Vingegaard and other favorites on the Tourmalet. "There was one single rider who attacked in this Tour: Tadej Pogacar. He attacked once, and everyone understood it was finished," former FDJ United manager Marc Madiot told RMC radio.
From that moment, Pogacar's fifth win was inevitable. He is younger than the other four five-time winners and faced no major setbacks—unlike Hinault's broken nose, Merckx's painful wound, Induráin's crisis in the Massif Central, or Anquetil's close call with Raymond Poulidor.
Comparison with Tour Legends
Pogacar has surpassed Induráin, who focused on Grand Tours and never won a Classic or world road title. He also exceeds Anquetil, who likewise avoided Classics. Against Hinault, Pogacar leads in Monument Classics (13 and counting) and world titles (2), but Hinault has more Grand Tour wins (9 to Pogacar's 6, including two Vueltas and two Giros). Merckx still holds more Grand Tours, world titles, Monuments, and the hour record.
The debate over the greatest continues. If Pogacar rides the Vuelta and world championships later this year, many expect him to win both—a feat only achievable by Merckx and Hinault in their prime, reflecting where the past three weeks have placed him.
