Tadej Pogacar just won his fourth Tour de France! ..And then hinted that he might not be around for many more. At just 26, Pogacar is already a legend, but this year’s race felt different. The 2025 route? It looked like it was built specifically to take him down. Hautacam, Mont Ventoux, Col de la Loze — climbs that had punished him before, but things got tense fast: he crashed hard in Toulouse just before the big mountain stages. Skin shredded, elbows bloodied. But when he hit the base of the Hautacam on July 17, he didn’t flinch. He attacked with the force of someone who had something to prove and maybe something to finish. Little did we know, he wasn’t just racing for the Tour… he was starting to talk about the end.
After crossing the line in Paris with the yellow jersey secure, adding to wins in 2020, 2021, and 2024, Pogacar surprised everyone. A post from Le Gruppetto on X showed him grinning in victory, but it was the caption that stopped fans in their tracks. “I don’t think I’ll stop anytime soon, but I don’t see myself continuing for too long either. The Los Angeles Olympics are one of my goals, which brings me to three years from now. Then I might start thinking about retirement, we’ll see.” The words weren’t dramatic, but they hit hard. Tadej Pogacar is already planning and retirement. Once,. An unthinkable word for someone so young is suddenly on the table. And just like that, the countdown may have quietly begun. Let’s be clear: he’s not done yet.
This year’s victory was anything but handed to him. Despite organizers neutralizing the final stage’s time due to rain, he still pushed, still tried to win the sprint because that’s who he is. He finished over four minutes ahead of Jonas Vingegaard and 11 minutes clear of Florian Lipowitz. No one came close. But knowing he might walk away in a few years makes each ride more electric and every attack more meaningful.
Tadej Pogacar à l’Equipe : “Je ne pense pas arrêter tout de suite mais je ne me vois pas non plus poursuivre trop longtemps. Les JO de Los Angeles sont un de mes objectifs, ce qui m’amène à dans trois ans. Alors je commencerai peut-être à penser la retraite, on verra.” #TDF2025 pic.twitter.com/t1WANw6FL9
— Le Gruppetto (@LeGruppetto) July 27, 2025
If LA 2028 really is Tadej Pogacar’s final goal, that gives fans a front-row seat to his last act and you can bet he’ll make it unforgettable. For now, he’s still racing, still winning, and still rewriting what greatness looks like on two wheels. But something’s shifted. The champion isn’t just thinking about climbs and stages anymore, he’s thinking about legacy. And that makes every moment from here on out impossible to ignore. But was winning this cup so easy? Not at all!
2025 became the year Tadej Pogacar fought back harder than ever
Tadej Pogacar’s dominance in 2025 didn’t come without scars. The Slovenian star, now a four-time Tour de France champion, faced a number of real setbacks this season. One of the most dramatic came on Stage 11 of the Tour when he crashed outside the 3km safety zone, sustaining abrasions after clipping another rider’s wheel in a high-speed sprint finish toward Toulouse. Thankfully, the peloton slowed, thanks in part to race leader Ben Healy and Pogacar didn’t lose time. Just a few days later, in a strange pre-race moment before Stage 18, he collided with Vingegaard’s team car while riding to sign-on. No injuries. It was clear: even at the top, Pogacar still had to fight for every inch.
But perhaps the most defining moment of his Tour came on the slopes that once exposed his weaknesses. The 2025 Tour route was stacked with infamous climbs : Col de la Loze, Mont Ventoux, and Hautacam where he had previously lost time, particularly to Jonas Vingegaard in past editions. On Stage 12, he flipped the script. Pogacar launched an explosive attack with 12.5 km to go on the Hautacam, dropped all rivals, reclaimed the yellow jersey, and marked his 20th Tour stage victory. His first ever on that climb. He went on to win the overall race by 4 minutes 24 seconds ahead of Vingegaard, while also claiming the polka-dot climber’s jersey.
Outside the Tour, Pogacar has had one of the most complete seasons of his career. He began the year with wins in Strade Bianche (despite crashing mid-race), La Fleche Wallonne, and Liege–Bastogne Liege, dominating the Ardennes with solo attacks and controlled power. He also won stage races like the UAE Tour and the Criterium du Dauphine, showing his ability to peak across terrains and months. Even when he didn’t win like in Milan San Remo (3rd) and Paris–Roubaix (2nd after crashing in the velodrome), he still made the podium
In 2025, Pogacar hasn’t just defended his reputation, he’s redefined it.
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