Pogačar favourite for fifth Tour de France title as Vingegaard eyes revenge

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Pogačar favourite for fifth Tour de France title as Vingegaard eyes revenge
Pogačar and Vingegaard line up as Tour de France favourites as race begins in Barcelona
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Tadej Pogačar arrived in Barcelona on Friday as the overwhelming favourite to win his fifth Tour de France title, a feat matched only by cycling’s immortals Eddy Merckx, Jacques Anquetil, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Induráin. The 27-year-old Slovenian, who claimed his fourth victory last July, stands one triumph away from joining that exclusive club and could even surpass Merckx’s record of nine yellow jerseys if he extends his dominance in the 113th edition, which begins on Saturday.
Pogačar’s spring campaign has been unprecedented. He claimed victories at Strade Bianche, Milan-San Remo, Tour of Flanders, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the Tour de Romandie and the Tour de Suisse, a sequence of wins that has left rivals scrambling for answers. “It’s wonderful to see how easily he climbs,” Merckx told *Het Nieuwsblad*. “He will win the Tour five times, maybe even six. When you see how he wins races, you can’t help but admire him.” The Belgian legend’s words underscore the scale of Pogačar’s challenge: he has worn the yellow jersey ten times already and could close the gap to Merckx’s record of 96 days in yellow.
Jonas Vingegaard, the 29-year-old Dane who finished second to Pogačar in 2024 and 2025, remains his closest rival. Vingegaard, who has arrived in peak form after shaving his legs in preparation for the race , insists he is better than ever. “I’m in the best shape of my life,” he said. Florian Lipowitz and Remco Evenepoel are also expected to feature prominently, while 19-year-old French wildcard Paul Seixas could emerge as a surprise contender on home roads.
The race begins in Barcelona, the first Grand Départ in Spain since 1992, and concludes in Paris on 26 July. The parcours includes punishing mountain stages in the Pyrenees and Alps, where Pogačar’s climbing prowess will be tested against a strengthened peloton. With Chris Froome retiring after four Tour wins , the stage is set for a generational showdown between two of cycling’s brightest stars.
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