History Maker Tadej Pogačar Needs to Find a New Goal

Tadej Pogačar says he wants to live in the moment and not think about history.

But now the Slovenian has made it by winning a record-equalling fifth Tour de France and cycling’s superstar cannot hide his disbelief.

“It is something you won’t even maybe write in a story book. It is unbelievable also for me,” he told TNT Sports post-race.

So much talent, work and suffering has gone into the Slovenian’s reign since he shocked fellow countryman Primož Roglič to win on his Tour debut in 2020.

Pogačar believes the most important thing is to “enjoy what you are doing and you have people around you that you trust and that they help you,” he said. “That they are there for you when you are at your lowest, then you can build yourself and chase your dreams.

Surely he has surpassed his wildest ones. Now there is a symmetrical five in the club of five-time Tour winners as he joins Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Induráin .

“You have to set your goals, always. I need to find a new goal now after this,” he said.

Crits then an anticipated Vuelta bid

Pogačar cannot go too hard in his post-Tour party in Paris. He flies home tomorrow, with a Friday criterium in his home town of Komenda including some leading Tour racers.

“Then I hope I can see some stages of the Tour de France Femmes to see Urška riding,” he added, speaking to written media in his post-race press conference.

As for a tilt at another grand tour, the Vuelta a España, which starts in late August? “If it started tomorrow, I’d probably say no, but in two weeks, I can still decide,” he said, smiling.

Prince Albert of Monaco, the location of the race start, indicated earlier in the Tour that Pogačar said he will compete.

Pogačar is blazing a path through the sport’s stage races, head and shoulders above his nearest rival in the last three years. However, the 27-year-old is still mindful of the possibility of burnout if he “pushes too hard, too far.

“So that’s why I also don’t want to just say now that I go to the Vuelta, that I want all the races. I need to also think about this and keep the feet on the ground.”

‘Crazy’ doping controls at the Tour

Talk about testing has been regular background noise to the second half of the Tour after the news emerged of ITA controls in the exceptional window of 11 p.m. to 6 a.m before stage 15. Pogačar called the 2 a.m. control of Vingegaard “crazy” and his 5 a.m. one “a little bit weird, but definitely not the weirdest.”

“Since I’ve been riding the Tour in 2020, we’ve had crazy controls, before queen stages a lot of times, almost every Tour – four or five times out of seven, a control in the bus before the stage, 30 minutes.

“For me, that’s even weirder but they’re doing their job. It’s part of my life. When I hear a knock on my door, the first thing is going in my head is that ‘is it a control here?’ For me, it’s like going to the supermarket, nothing unusual anymore because I have so many of them.”

Pogačar confirmed to Velo that he did not have any serious sickness or injury, despite the stomach issue of Adam Yates, Brandon McNulty’s sickness and Tim Wellens’ illness.

Del Toro, the next in line?

Team UAE Emirates-XRG‘s two Tour stars certainly looked to be in rude health and strong comedic form.

Pogačar conducted his press conference with white jersey winner and third place finisher Isaac del Toro. Master and apprentice were together on the podium and held court at the press conference.

“Actually, me and Isaac are big rivals. We’re just playing that we’re friends in front of the camera,” Pogačar joked.

“In your crit [on Friday], I’ll smash you. Today, you were lucky,” the Mexican said, referring to the puncture he had, which took him out of connection.

Sat with Del Toro, Pogačar added “the next generation is looking very sharp. I’m happy to hare Isaac on my side, that I can maybe be a kind of mentor, maybe I can teach him a thing or two.”

Yellow jersey-wearing Pogačar walked off stage giving the classic “mic drop” hand signal.

Over and out from the Tour de France titan for another July.