Predator and puppeteer: Pogacar turns the Tour into his stage

At simply 26, Tadej Pogacar has turned the Tour de France into his kingdom, claiming his fourth title on Sunday and cementing a reign that remembers the starvation of Eddy Merckx and the iron grip of Lance Armstrong – but feels completely his personal.

This victory was greater than only a triumph -— it was a showcase of transformation. Pogacar began the race as a full of life, daring rider, delighting followers with audacious assaults and celebrating stage wins with unrestrained exuberance.

But because the gruelling three-week occasion wore on, the Slovenian’s manner shifted. The enjoyment gave option to chilly, calculating focus, showcasing his capacity to transition from a crowd-pleaser to a commanding chief.

Solely within the closing stage did Pogacar spring again to life in a journey resembling a one-day basic, throughout which he fought an epic duel with Belgian Wout van Aert.

Whereas he didn’t win, the enjoyment of racing was briefly again because the world champion discovered a problem at his measure.

By means of the primary two weeks, Pogacar appeared unstoppable, claiming 4 stage wins, placing the hammer down on the climb to Hautacam and including a dominant efficiency within the uphill time trial on Stage 13. That victory stretched his lead over Jonas Vingegaard to greater than 4 minutes, reinforcing his place as the person to beat.

His early assaults had been daring, his power seemingly limitless. Followers witnessed the Pogacar they adored — smiling on the summit, waving to youngsters on the roadside, and revelling within the pure pleasure of racing.

Nevertheless, the Alpine levels introduced a noticeable change. Pogacar’s urge for food for stage victories diminished, changed by a deliberate concentrate on controlling the race.

On the climb to La Plagne, Pogacar allowed Thymen Arensman to assert the stage win, focusing as an alternative on neutralizing Vingegaard’s possibilities of profitable the stage.

That stage of authority introduced echoes of Armstrong’s dominance within the early 2000s, though the context was vastly completely different. The psychological command over the race, nonetheless, felt acquainted.

Rivals stopped plotting to beat Pogacar, they plotted to outlive.

“It was one of many hardest, if not the toughest, Excursions I have been in,” Pogacar instructed reporters, emphasising the bodily and psychological challenges of defending his lead over three weeks.

The Slovenian’s calm manner sometimes cracked beneath stress. After enduring repeated accelerations from rivals throughout a mountain stage, he described their ways as “a bit annoying.”

Whereas Pogacar by no means appeared bodily weak, his transition from carefree to businesslike mirrored the immense weight of management.

Even when Matteo Jorgenson launched an assault, Pogacar personally shut it down regardless of the American posing no risk to his general lead – a testomony to his meticulous management.

Comparisions to Merckx

Each milestone Pogacar achieves revives comparisons with Merckx, biking’s “Cannibal,” who devoured the whole lot in his path. The Belgian claimed 5 Excursions, Giro-Tour doubles, and Monument wins throughout his exceptional profession.

With 4 Tour titles, one Giro win, a number of Monuments, and a world championship to his title, Pogacar is the closest to Merckx’s stage seen in a long time.

Bernard Hinault, considered one of 4 riders with 5 Tour wins, remarked that Pogacar is “like me and Merckx,” whereas Merckx himself admitted that Pogacar’s world title journey surpassed his personal on that day.

The defining query now’s whether or not Pogacar can match Merckx’s document of 5 Tour victories. His 2024 season – profitable the Giro, Tour, and World Championships – echoes Merckx’s legendary 1974 marketing campaign.

The way in which Pogacar is ready to management a race feels natural, pushed by uncooked expertise, versatility, and a peaceful confidence that implies inevitability reasonably than worry.

But the ultimate week of the Tour revealed one other layer to Pogacar’s character: the pressure of expectation. Although his pleasure light because the race progressed, changed by steely willpower, it’s this duality – exuberance and pressure, predator and puppet grasp – that makes Pogacar a compelling determine in fashionable biking.

With 4 Tour wins at 26, Pogacar stands tantalisingly near the immortal mark of 5 titles, cementing his place amongst biking’s greats. (Reporting by Julien Pretot; Enhancing by Andrew Cawthorne)

Printed – July 29, 2025 02:20 am IST