Tadej Pagačar Nabs Fourth Tour de France Title

The roads were dangerously slippery after heavy rains. A fourth Tour of France was almost won anyway, so finishing safely in the herd would do well for Tadej Pogačar. Especially considering that the final stage of Sunday had already been neutralized for security reasons and only had to complete the race.

Surely there was no need to launch a seemingly useless attack and risk crashing?

But retaining or being cautious rarely appeals to Pugačar, the 26 -year -old cycling star of Slovenia. He secured his fourth inimitably daring style tour title on Sunday and further consolidated his place among the greats of cycling.

Although he really didn’t need, and he risked falling into skilled oil roads, Pagačar simply couldn’t help it. Against all the logical opinion, he tried to win the stage 21 and final of Sunday with attacks uphill of registered trademark, just not to achieve the profit of the stage.

“In the end I found myself in the front, even though I didn’t have energy,” said Pugačar, who won the tour last year and 2020 and 2021.

“Simply speechless to win the Tour of France, it feels especially incredible,” Pagačar added. “Simply proud to wear this yellow shirt.”

The twice champion of the Jonas Vingegaard tour finished the general race 4 minutes, 24 seconds behind Pagačar in second place and Florian Lipowitz was 11 minutes to the third.

The Belgian pilot Wout Vanert won stage 21 and Last, which broke the tradition and had three climbs from Montmartre Hill.

Due to heavy rains and the risk of accidents, the organizers had previously neutralized the 50 kilometers (31 miles) since the end, giving Pugačar the victory, provided that the finish line would cruciate.

He did the opposite of what almost all riders would do with victory almost a certainty.

While the rain fell, it established a tremendous rhythm on Montmartre’s climbs while fans applauded along the wheel, with flags and fans hanging from the windows.

Only five riders were left with Pagačar in the third ascent of the Montmartre hill of 1.1 kilometers.

After defending Matteo Jorgenson, he was caught near the top when they go Aert launched an impressive attacks to fall, yes, fall! – Pogačar, the best climber in the world, in the most pronounced section.

“Loishing Wout, it was incredibly strong,” Pagačar said.

Going Aert again for a prestigious victory on stage in the famous fields-Elysées. Pagačar looked tired while crossing the line in fourth place, 19 seconds behind.

But then it was time to celebrate Title No. 4. Although, he does not expect Pugačar to reach the headlines on that forehead.

“Everyone celebrates in their own way, I just want peace and a pleasant climate, not like here today,” Pagačar said. “Just to enjoy some quiet days at home.”

Only four cyclists have won the exhibition career five times: the Belgian Eddy Merckx, the Spanish Miguel Induráin and the French Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault.

Pogačar won four stages this year to take his tour of 21 and 30 in the main races, including six in the D’Italia and three turn in the Spanish Vuelta.

The Eau Emirates team leader praised his teammates.

“I think the second week was the decisive moment,” said Pugačar. “We take advantage of more.”

Lipowitz, meanwhile, secured his first race podium on a large tour, the alternative name given to the three main races.

His performance, after his third final last month at the Critérium Du Dauphiné, suggests that the 24 -year -old German pilot could challenge in the near future.

Traditionally, the last stage is largely processional with the runners who turn in Paris. The tour broke with tradition after the success of the Race of the Route of the Olympics of Paris, which also took Montmartre, famous for its Sacré-Coeur Basilica.

It was the fifth consecutive year where Pogačar and Vingegaard finished 1-2 on the tour.

Vingegaard was second in 2021, before beating Pogačar in the next two years with the Slovenian second. When Pugačar claimed his title last year, Vingegaard was runner -up.

“We have raised the level of each other much higher and we push each other to the limit,” Pagačar said. “I must tell him, great, great respect.”

Pagačar also won the D’Italia turn, did it last year to become the first cyclist to secure the turn and twice as a tour in the same season since the late Marco Pantani in 1998.

But Pagačar has not yet won the Spanish return, while Anquetil, Hinault and Merckx won the three main races.

When Pugačar won the fourth mountainous stage of this year’s career, it was the professional victory number 100 of his stellar career, all the combined events.

Pogacar is also the world racing champion.

His dominant victory in Critérium continued his excellent way in the spring classics.

After winning stage 4 of the tour, Pagačar added three more victories in the stage, including a counterreloj Ulle emphasizes up.

He would love to win the Paris-Roubaix classic and Milan San-Remo.

The Roubaix race of 259.2 kilometer, or 161 miles, is called “the Hell of the North” due to its dangerous cobbled sections.

Pagačar’s debut appearance in the one -day classic this year saw him seeking to become the first champion of the tour to win it from Hinault in 1981. But the powerful Dutch rider Mathieu van der Poel won it for the third consecutive year.

Pagačar has not yet won Milan-San Remo, with Van der Poel he also hit him there this year.

Wait for a paste fired next year in Roubaix and Milan-San Remo.

But it is not clear if you will address the return.

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