Tadej Pogacar fired on all cylinders as he claimed a scintillating victory on the legendary Alpe d'Huez stage, catapulting himself to the cusp of history with a record-breaking fifth Tour de France title within his grasp. The 27-year-old UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider conjured up an astonishing display of strength and grit, clawing back over three minutes on a strong breakaway group during the gruelling final climb to the iconic ski resort.
With Pogacar now holding court at the summit, he's poised to join the elite company of only five cyclists to achieve five Tour de France wins – an exclusive club comprising Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Indurain. His crushing dominance on Friday saw him cross the finish line a mere six seconds ahead of France's Lenny Martinez and nine seconds clear of Ecuador's Richard Carapaz, who had won the previous day's stage in a thrilling display.
The Slovenian sensation now boasts a commanding lead of seven minutes and 11 seconds over Belgium's Remco Evenepoel of Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe – despite Evenepoel's impressive climbing improvements this year. Pogacar's Mexican teammate, Isaac del Toro, remains in third place overall, nine minutes and 42 seconds adrift, and continues to wear the white jersey as the leader of the young riders' classification.
A breakaway group of over 40 riders had established a sizeable lead mid-stage, but Pogacar's relentless pursuit on Alpe d'Huez proved the decisive factor. He shattered the previous record time for the final climb, completing it in an astonishing 35 minutes and 27 seconds – a feat that surpasses Italy's Marco Pantani's benchmark set in 1997. Overcome with emotion, Pogacar paid tribute to his team, saying, "It was very cool to win up here - it was a crazy atmosphere all climb and I'm thankful for the team that I could pull it off."
British rider Adam Yates, 33, played a vital role in Pogacar's late charge, demonstrating remarkable resilience after suffering from illness and losing significant time in previous stages. His re-emergence into the leading group and subsequent pacing of Pogacar during the latter part of the climb provided a significant morale boost for the yellow jersey wearer. The peloton will face Alpe d'Huez once more on Saturday for the 'queen' stage, which promises an additional 2,000 metres of climbing, before the ceremonial final stage into Paris.