Tadej Pogačar Just Tied a Tour de France Record, Despite Wildfires

Tadej Pogačar, the Slovenian cyclist whose name sounds like a spell from a fantasy novel, just snagged his fifth Tour de France title. That's right, five. He crossed the finish line in Paris on Sunday, making it official, and simultaneously making cycling history. Because apparently, winning four wasn't quite enough.

This year's final stage, however, was a bit less about the usual pomp and circumstance and a lot more about, well, wildfires. The iconic race start on the Champs-Élysées was delayed, and the route itself got a haircut, all thanks to blazes tearing through the southwest of France. Event security, it seems, had more pressing matters than guarding bike routes, like helping evacuate actual people. Which, if you think about it, is a pretty solid reason to shorten a race.

Originally, the cyclists were supposed to embark from Thoiry, a town 56 kilometers west of Paris, then cruise into the city. Instead, they got a slightly more direct, less smoky path. Because even the Tour de France has to adjust when Mother Nature decides to throw a fiery tantrum.

While Pogačar took the overall victory, the final stage itself went to Dutch rider Mathieu van der Poel in a blistering 1 hour, 58 minutes, and 49 seconds. Pogačar's grand total for the entire, grueling tour? A cool 73 hours, 56 minutes, and 26 seconds. That's nearly six and a half minutes ahead of his closest rival, Remco Evenepoel of Belgium. Let that satisfying number sink in.

With this win, Pogačar now sits in an exclusive club, sharing the record for most Tour de France victories with legends like Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Induráin. Lance Armstrong, of course, had seven, but those titles went bye-bye in a cloud of controversy and performance-enhancing drugs. So, Pogačar's five are clean, shiny, and officially record-tying. All in a day's work, apparently.