At last, Tadej Pogacar can breathe easily and smile sincerely after triumphing in his fourth Tour de France edition. Following 2020, 2021, and 2024, the Slovenian has now triumphed in the 2025 edition. He can still achieve much in the sport and has shared his feelings after gaining another yellow jersey in his palmarès, along with considerations about possibly retiring from the sport in the near future.
Pogacar clinched four stages, the overall title, and the mountains classification, but today he sought even greater achievements. Ultimately, I ended up at the front despite lacking the energy to push myself to compete today. “I was pleased they balanced the times in GC, making the race more relaxed; you only needed strong legs to be up front,” the yellow jersey stated in a post-race interview. “I positioned myself at the front, attempted to speed up, but hats off to Wout who was exceptionally strong; today’s race was really enjoyable.”
Wout van Aert dropped him, preventing him from winning the stage; he finished in fourth place, but that ultimately didn’t dampen his spirits. He climbs to the top step of the podium in the Tour for the fourth time, and for the second time in a row. “At a loss for words to have won four Tours de France, with six consecutive podium finishes, this one feels especially incredible and I’m extremely proud to wear this yellow jersey.”
When asked about the race victory, he highlights several pivotal moments: “I believe it all began with our approach to riding with the team; we had an amazing atmosphere, an excellent team, and a fantastic spirit.” From the first day, we were battling, and after stage 5 at Mur-de-Bretagne, I realized I had the strength to vie for the win, so we continued to fight. During the second week, it became the crucial point, where we gained a greater advantage and progressed more easily into the third week.
Regarding the legendary rivalry with Jonas Vingegaard, where both cyclists have claimed first and second place for five consecutive years at the Grand Boucle, Pogacar stated: “We chatted in the afternoon after the race began, discussing during the neutral zone how much things have evolved over the past five years of our competition.” We elevated each other, challenged our limits, and aimed to outdo one another. Competing against Jonas was a challenging experience, and I have to give him respect along with a big congratulations for his fight and remarkable race.
A worn-out Pogacar can now rejoice and finally take a much-deserved holiday after securing the greatest victory he could at the Tour de France. “Now is the moment to celebrate; everyone has their own way of doing it. I wish to celebrate with peace this week and enjoy pleasant weather, unlike what we have now, just to relish some calm days at home,” he concluded with a smile.
During an interview with L’Équipe, the Slovenian was inquired about his retirement. The inquiry arises from recent observations of Pogacar displaying some negative feelings and even signs of boredom, “counting kilometers until Paris” and generally not exhibiting his typical cheerful demeanor during interviews and on the podium. “I doubt I’ll quit immediately, but I also can’t envision myself continuing for much longer.” The Los Angeles Olympics (scheduled for 2028, ed.) are among my aspirations, taking place three years from now. “Following that, I could begin to consider retirement — we’ll see.”
