Tadej Pogačar reflects on that frantic final KM against Van der Poel in Paris: 'There was no communication'
CyclingMonday, 27 July 2026 at 13:31
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Follow us on GoogleTadej Pogačar has secured his fifth Tour de France victory. The Slovenian rider from UAE Emirates-XRG tried to finish in style on Sunday in Paris, but was outpaced by a stronger Mathieu van der Poel of Alpecin-Premier Tech. After the race, Pogacar was the first to acknowledge that the Dutchman was the better of the two.
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For the second year in a row, the yellow jersey led the final stage in Paris. While Wout van Aert had beaten him to it last year, this time Pogacar was no match for Van der Poel. But he wasn’t bothered by that anymore when, at 9:30 p.m. on that Parisian evening, he had to take his seat in the press center in Paris.
Read more below the photo!
Tadej Pogacar's 2026 Tour de France press conference
"Tadej, can you take us through that last kilometer? Because it looked like you put in one last big push and then, as it were, let Mathieu take the win, as if to say, 'Go for it, buddy.'"
"Well, almost! Yeah, there really wasn't any need for words—there was no communication. We were both just riding on sheer willpower and pushing way past our limits all the way to the finish. And well, I was simply out of energy. I knew we had to give it our all, he knew we had to give it our all, so we went all out. In the end, I think he’s going to take a fantastic victory here today.'
"Today we saw once again that you're someone who just absolutely loves racing, even when you don't necessarily have to be out in front. But you've made history. How important is it to you to join the ranks of those great names?"
"Right now, I just want to enjoy the feeling of having won the Tour. Whether it's my first or my fifth, it doesn't really matter to me. It's still magical to ride in that yellow jersey and cross the finish line in Paris as the winner. I’m not thinking right now about whether I’ll go down in history or belong to a certain ‘club.’
"I just want to live in the moment, go home later, relax, and enjoy the little things in life. I'm incredibly happy and proud to have won this Tour. Every victory has its own story, its own meaning, and brings out different emotions. Each and every one of them feels incredible and surreal."
"I still have some 'homework' to do first... And on Friday night, I'll be racing a criterium in my hometown, along with a few special guests from the Tour peloton—some really great riders. I’m really grateful they’re coming! On Sunday, we have the Pogi Challenge for families, kids, and recreational cyclists (where he’ll be taking on a whole bunch of cyclists all by himself, ed.).
"So it's going to be a busy weekend, during which we'll also be doing a lot for my foundation. And hopefully, after that, I'll be able to watch a few stages of the Tour de France Femmes to see Urška ride."
Do you feel fit enough to ride the Vuelta in a month?
"If the Vuelta were to start tomorrow, I'd say no! But anyway, I won't be able to really decide on that until in two weeks."
Last year, a few months after your victory, it was revealed that you were dealing with knee problems. Now that the Tour is over: was there a hidden injury or illness you were dealing with this time?
"No, knock on wood, I really had an amazing Tour. Within the team, Adam [Yates] was having some stomach trouble and Brandon [McNulty] was sick, so a few guys weren't feeling their best for a couple of days. But yeah, you’re riding around for three weeks in a peloton full of people, surrounded by the crowd, with everyone shouting and coughing… so something like that spreads quickly.”
"But we did really well as a team. It was just a huge shame that Brandon had to drop out, although luckily he stayed to enjoy the atmosphere. I have so much respect for the whole team."
Last year, you spoke at the press conference about the risk of burnout. This year, you look much happier, and it seems like you’re enjoying it more. What has changed, and are you still mindful of the risk of burnout in the coming years?
"Last year, I didn't say that I *had* burnout, but I did say that I was very aware that it could happen. And I still am. Burnout doesn't mean that one day you're just feeling a little sad or having a bad day on the bike. It means you’re chronically tired, that you’ve completely lost the joy of cycling, and that everything feels like a heavy burden.”
"I know that's a risk when you push yourself too hard and too far. That's why I'm not announcing right after the Tour that I'm going to ride the Vuelta or all sorts of other races. I have to watch my limits and keep my feet on the ground."
Tom van der Salm (27) comes from the charming town of Zeilberg (Deurne) in the Netherlands and has been working as editor-in-chief & journalist at IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, In de Leiderstrui, since 2019. He travels with the peloton from the Tour de France to the AlUla Tour and from the World Championships in Rwanda or Canada to the Zilvermeercross in Mol. In his spare time he enjoys playing football, mountain biking, running, walking with his Labrador/Stabyhoun, investing, holidays, (specialty) beers, reading, cooking and watching sports & documentaries!
Contact: [email protected]
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Latest Comments
- - Five Tours and still talking about enjoying the little things. That’s why he’s different. Also, huge shout to Adam Yates riding through stomach issues—UAE’s depth saved some tricky days after McNulty DNF’d.robert6527-07-2026
- - Loved the bit about the Pogi Challenge and supporting his foundation. Also great he wants to catch the Tour de France Femmes to watch Urška—more riders should big up the women’s race like that. Bravo, mate.andrewf27-07-2026
- - What a fifth Tour that was. Pogi’s honesty about VdP dusting him on the Champs is pure class. You can tell he emptied the tank in that final km and still tipped the cap. Legend behaviour.breakawaybikerd27-07-2026
- - Decathlon CMA CGM getting 165k on Seixas 4th + Kooij sprint—super promising for the future. Bravo les jeunes!pedalpowe2927-07-2026
- - Alpecin without green is rare. Van der Poel x2 and Philipsen still make 87k look decent, but they left a jersey on the table.breakawaybikerd27-07-2026
- - ¿Picnic PostNL? That name’s new to me—are they the rebranded Jumbo-Visma devo link or something else? Why so little prize money despite being WorldTour-level resources?michael5427-07-2026
- - INEOS at 23k is shocking given their budget. Onley DNS hurt, but still… recruitment and tactics need a rethink.jennifer1927-07-2026
- - Lidl-Trek quietly crushed it. Skjelmose and Ayuso both top-10 plus Mads bagging green—204k feels about right. Great depth across three weeks.lindae27-07-2026
- - Tough for Visma after Vingegaard’s exit. 71k is miles off their usual standards, but they fought on. Respect.cyclechamp4527-07-2026
- - EF’s haul feels low for two Carapaz stages + polka dots. 124k? Seems stingy compared to the effort—am I missing bonus payouts somewhere?jeremya27-07-2026
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