"Tadej Pogacar's Tour de France dominance leaves UAE Team Emirates-XRG astonished, as he secures victory with a four-minute margin despite a crash"
Tadej Pogacar, the reigning Tour de France champion, made a strong comeback in the 2025 edition, demonstrating his resilience and dominance from the very beginning. Although specific details about the first stage are scarce, Pogacar quickly reclaimed and maintained leadership positions throughout the early stages, including a critical win on the Mûr-de-Bretagne climb (stage 7).
Pogacar's team, UAE Team Emirates-XRG, played a crucial role in supporting him through challenging moments. One such instance was a crash triggered by a collision at 6 km to go on a later stage, where Pogacar managed to continue without significant time loss. The domestiques suffered crashes themselves, showcasing the intensity and sacrifices made for Pogacar’s leadership.
Pogačar’s impact on the race was substantial. Not only did he dominate mountain segments, setting 362 Strava King of the Mountains (KOM) records during the Tour, but he also won multiple stages and maintained a growing time advantage over closest contenders, such as Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel.
In the Pyrenees, Pogacar launched decisive attacks to build leads as large as minutes, virtually clinching the overall victory before the high mountains began. His control was evident, as he smashed Vingegaard's time on the same climb from 2022 by 1 minute and 27 seconds. UAE's sports manager Matxin Fernández stated that taking more than two minutes was never even in their best plans.
Pogačar's team had a relaxed and jovial atmosphere before the race, which seemed to have a positive impact on their performance. Jhonatan Narvaez made a powerful move at the foot of the Hautacam, shredding the front bunch, allowing Pogacar to go solo to the finish line. Pogacar's mental strength, focus, and consistent delivery were evident throughout the race.
Nils Politt, one of Pogacar's teammates, said that when Pogacar says he wants to go, most of the time he goes. Tim Wellens, another competitor, believes Pogacar would have won by four minutes if he didn't crash. Adam Yates was impressed by Narvaez's performance and joked about riding his bike.
In conclusion, Pogacar’s comeback combined individual strength, consistent stage wins, and effective team tactics, shaping the 2025 Tour de France from its opening moments and solidifying his authority as the race leader. Despite a few setbacks, Pogacar remains focused and determined to defend his title, with Paris still far ahead.
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