A Tour victory shaped by respect
Tadej Pogačar ended the 2026 Tour de France at the top of a high-class final podium.
The UAE Team Emirates-XRG leader was joined in Paris by Remco Evenepoel and his own teammate, Isaac del Toro.
While celebrating his victory, Pogačar was quick to recognise the quality of the riders who had pushed him throughout the race.
Evenepoel and del Toro complete the podium
Evenepoel finished second overall, while Tour debutant del Toro secured third place.
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As confirmed in Team Visma-Lease a Bike’s final Tour report, Pogačar won the race by six minutes and 26 seconds over Evenepoel. Del Toro finished nine minutes and 42 seconds behind his team leader.
The result gave UAE Team Emirates-XRG two riders in the final top three.
Pogačar praises his podium rivals
Pogačar spoke warmly about both Evenepoel and del Toro after the final stage.
According to the Tour de France’s official post-race interview, he described the podium as a fitting reward for three weeks of demanding competition.
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“It’s a magnificent podium, shared with incredible champions with whom I’ve been fighting all these weeks,” Pogačar said.
Vingegaard’s challenge ends suddenly
Jonas Vingegaard had been second overall before crashing during stage 15.
The Dane went down in a corner with around 20 kilometres remaining and was unable to continue. His withdrawal ended his bid to challenge Pogačar for the yellow jersey.
The crash also brought Vingegaard’s run of five consecutive Tour podium finishes to an abrupt end.
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A fractured collarbone forces his withdrawal
Further medical checks showed that Vingegaard had suffered a broken collarbone and several abrasions.
As described by Team Visma-Lease a Bike in its report on the crash, the injury required surgery.
His departure removed one of Pogačar’s leading rivals from the final week and changed the shape of the overall contest.
Pogačar sends a message of support
Pogačar acknowledged that Vingegaard was not the only rider whose Tour ended because of an accident.
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“Shame that Jonas and many others crashed out of this Tour. I hope we can all fight again next year,” he said.
His words carried both sympathy and a clear desire to renew the contest when the riders return to the Tour.
Competition gives way to concern
Crashes are an unavoidable threat in professional cycling, even for the strongest riders in the field.
Pogačar’s comments reflected the respect that can remain between rivals despite the pressure of competing for the sport’s biggest prize.
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Once a rider is injured, the result becomes less important than the hope of a full recovery.
Another battle awaits
Pogačar left Paris as the Tour champion, while Evenepoel and del Toro completed a powerful final podium.
Yet his thoughts also turned towards the riders who did not reach the finish, particularly Vingegaard.
The Slovenian made clear that he wants the strongest possible field to return, setting the stage for another major contest next year.
