PARIS (AP) 鈥� has never appeared stronger as he stands on the verge of joining the ranks of the s greatest champions.
The two-time world champion has crushed his rivals this season, across all terrains. That’s primed Poga膷ar to chase a record-equaling fifth Tour victory starting on Saturday in Barcelona.
The only four riders to have won five Tours are Belgian Eddy Merckx, Spaniard Miguel Indurain and Frenchmen Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault.
American rider Lance Armstrong won seven Tours from 1999-2005 but was stripped of them for participating in a systemic doping program.
Poga膷ar’s insatiable thirst for winning has drawn comparisons with Merckx, widely regarded as the greatest of all time. Some observers believe the 27-year-old from Slovenia could eventually surpass Merckx鈥檚 records from the 1960s and 70s.
Take this season, for instance: In only 16 race days he recorded 13 victories, including general classifications wins at the Tour de Suisse and the Tour de Romandie, as well as one-day triumphs at Liege-Bastogne-Liege, the Tour of Flanders, Milan San Remo and Strade Bianche.
His only setback came , where Belgian rider Wout van Aert prevented Poga膷ar rider from completing the set of cycling’s five Monuments.
Poga膷ar’s latest outing, at the Tour de Suisse, was a masterclass in which he left only crumbs for his rivals. He finished 6 minutes, 32 seconds ahead of second-placed Ecuador rider Richard Carapaz.
鈥淭he work has been done, I’m really looking forward to the whole month in France,鈥� Poga膷ar says.
The UAE Team Emirates-XRG leader is not only the strongest rider, he can also rely on talented and experienced teammates. Poga膷ar is supported in his quest by 2025 Giro d’Italia runner-up Isaac del Toro 鈥� a key asset in the mountains 鈥� Felix Gro脽schartner, Brandon McNulty, Nils Politt, Florian Vermeersch, Tim Wellens, and Adam Yates, who finished third on the 2023 Tour.
鈥淚 know I鈥檒l have a fantastic group of teammates,鈥� Poga膷ar says. 鈥淲e have a lot of confidence in each other and have built up a lot of experience together over the years.鈥�
Who can beat Poga膷ar?
Even though Poga膷ar is in a class of his own, cycling is a brutal sport where a crash or a moment of fatigue can shatter a rider鈥檚 hopes in an instant. Perfectly aware that fortunes can change in the blink of an eye, his rivals will line up with their morale high.
Like in every summer for the past five years, Jonas Vingegaard of Visma-Lease a Bike should be Poga膷ar’s main rival. They have split Tour victories since 2020, with Vingegaard taking home the yellow jersey .
The Danish rider is aiming to complete the . When he won the Giro in May, Vingegaard became the eighth male rider to win all three Grand Tours.
鈥淭hat gave me a tremendous amount of confidence heading into the Tour de France,鈥� he says. 鈥淎 third Tour victory would be a dream come true. It has been three years since I last won the Tour and ever since then it has remained one of my biggest goals.”
Despite van Aert’s absence because of an elbow injury, Vingegaard can count on a strong group of domestiques including top American climbers Matteo Jorgenson and Sepp Kuss, as well as highly rated Tour debutants Per Strand Hagenes and Davide Piganzoli.
Among others hoping to dethrone Poga膷ar, Remco Evenepoel and Florian Lipowitz 鈥� third last year 鈥� will share the leadership at Red Bull鈥揃ORA鈥揾ansgrohe.
France cheering for Seixas
France will have its eyes fixed on a rider making his Tour debut with the ambition of winning it one day.
At 19, Paul Seixas will become one of the youngest riders ever to take part in cycling鈥檚 showpiece race. He’s widely regarded as France鈥檚 best hope of a first champion since Hinault in 1985. But the CMA CGM Decathlon team leader has been downplaying his hopes.
Seixas crashed recently at the Tour Auvergne鈥揜hone-Alpes though he says he’s recovered well.
鈥淚 feel ready to give everything to get through these three weeks and achieve the best possible overall result,鈥� he says. 鈥淚鈥檓 not setting a more specific goal because I鈥檓 heading into the unknown, since I鈥檝e never competed in a race this long and demanding before.鈥�
The last rider to win the Tour on debut? Poga膷ar in 2020, at age 21.
Mountains come early
The 113th Tour will be launched in a team time trial. After leaving Spain, the peloton will enter the Pyrenees mountains on just the third day. Covering more than 3,300 kilometers (2,050 miles) altogether, the race visits France鈥檚 five mountain ranges 鈥� the Massif Central, Jura, Vosges and the Alps are the others 鈥� and features eight mountain stages, including five summit finishes.
Stages 19 and 20 culminate at the famed Alpe d鈥橦uez, which comes just 24 hours before the 21st and final stage ending on the Champs-脡lys茅es in Paris.
鈥淭he climb to Alpe d鈥橦uez will be revealing its two sides for the first time, making it very possible that the deck could be reshuffled over these two days,鈥� race director Christian Prudhomme says.
The only individual time trial takes place against the backdrop of Lake Geneva on Stage 16 and, after its introduction last year was hugely successful, will welcome the peloton during the grand finale on July 26.
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AP Sports Writer Jerome Pugmire contributed.
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