The evening sun soaked the streets of Nice in gold. As far as the eye could see, the ocean shimmered and glittered, glaring up at pastel-coloured buildings and balconies strewn with yellow flags. The city shone with such splendour that it was almost an embarrassment of riches. Similar, in some ways, to how Tadej Pogačar has won this Tour de France. With his victory in the final time trial, the Slovenian rider will leave the race with six stage wins and a winning margin of over six minutes ahead of Jonas Vingegaard. He has taken it all.
Pogačar has moved at a million miles per hour over the past three weeks. When he crossed the finish line for the final time on the 21st stage, he didn’t even pull his brakes to come to a stop as he reached his teammates. He fell into their embraces, climbed off his bike and the relief was palpable in his celebrations. There had been criticism, pressure and questions asked, but in the end, Pogačar answered everything with his legs. That is what he does best.
He didn’t have to win the final time trial to secure his yellow jersey, but the UAE Team Emirates rider only has one speed: full throttle. He finessed the curves and corners on the rolling coastal roads from Monaco to Nice like he was driving in the Formula One race that the area is famous for. It was the final exhibition in a three-week long show that has been all about one man – right from the start of the race in Italy, there was never really any doubt in Pogačar ability to pull this off.
Of course, there were those who did their best to challenge him. Jonas Vingegaard and Visma-Lease a Bike should be given credit for using every tactic in the book to outnumber the Slovenian rider in the mountains, from satellite riders, to last minute attacks, to mind games and everything in between. Then, there is Remco Evenepoel, the rider who – in his debut Tour de France – wasn’t afraid to trade blows with the top two riders on the podium who share five Tour titles between them. To finish third exceeded most people’s expectations of Evenepoel, and the gravity of his achievement wasn’t lost on the 24-year-old once it all came to a close in Nice.
As Pogačar celebrated wildly with his teammates, Evenepoel was brought to tears a few metres away, embraced by his Soudal–Quick-Step staff with a gentleness. This is what the Tour de France does to riders: emotions are heightened and humans are pushed to the very edge of what might once seem possible. This year, it was Pogačar who set the standard, pushing himself and his competitors towards one of the hardest Tours in recent memory.
“This year was really special for me. Coming into the Tour against Remco and Jonas and Primož Roglič, the expectations were high for a big battle and showdown,” Pogačar said a few minutes after accepting his yellow jersey for the final time. “I think that we threw so many punches to each other in the race, everybody showed balls at one point in the race, every single one of the riders from first to last.”
As the curtains are drawn on the biggest bike race in the world, there are, as always, conclusions that can be drawn from the results. There might be young talents emerging or riders making comebacks. There are the teams that have under and over performed over three weeks who can be analysed. After this year’s Tour de France, however, there is one clear verdict which can be agreed on by all who watched it unfold: Tadej Pogačar is, right now, the very best bike rider in the world.
“It was a great show but in the end I can be happy and proud that I came out of this battle as the winner,” the UAE Team Emirates rider stated. “I think that the whole of cycling right now can enjoy this moment, it’s a beautiful moment of cycling.”
