--- title: Tadej Pogačar slug: tadej-pogacar-87f42 url: /detay/tadej-pogacar-87f42 type: biography language: English entity: primary: Tadej Pogačar type: biography categories: - name: Sport slug: spor url: /kategori/spor tags: - Pogacar - Tadej - tourdefrance - YolBisikleti - BisikletSporu - Tadej Pogačar - DünyaŞampiyonu - Bisiklet author: Burak Enes created_at: 2026-07-27T13:55:49.418809+03:00 updated_at: 2026-07-27T13:55:49.418821+03:00 image: https://cdn.t3pedia.org/media/uploads/2026/07/27/zlf76rVbHG9tUahoEGspfazzZkzrmXmX.jpg --- # Tadej Pogačar > Tadej Pogačar is a Slovenian professional road cyclist who has won the Tour de France five times. ## KURE Information Cards ![](https://cdn.t3pedia.org/media/uploads/2026/07/27/mkqfFAXW4qnGT5jM5BVZDxJxlAQMxTd8.jpg) *Tadej Pogacar (AA)* | Field | Value | |-------|-------| | Date of Birth | 21 September 1998 | | Place of Birth | Klanec, Komenda, Slovenia | | Nationality | Slovenia | | Discipline | Road bicycle | | Team | UAE Team Emirates-XRG | | Partner | Urška Žigart | | Tour de France Victories | 2020,2021,2024,2025,2026 | | World Championships | 2024,2025 | | Olympic Achievements | Tokyo Bronze | ## Article Content Tadej [Pogačar](/en/detay/tadej-pogacar-52d42/llms.txt), born on 21 September 1998 in the village of Klanec near Komenda, Slovenia, is a professional road cyclist. He currently competes for UAE Team Emirates-XRG. He has won the [Tour de France](/en/detay/tour-de-france-ea34c/llms.txt) five times, the Giro d'Italia once, the world road race championship twice, and the European road race championship once. He has also added numerous Monument classics and one Olympic medal to his palmares. He is renowned for his climbing ability, time trial performance, and success in one-day classics. ### Early Life and Family In childhood, Pogačar first showed interest in football and played the sport during primary school. After his older brother Tilen Pogačar began training with the Rog Ljubljana cycling club, he took up cycling at the age of nine. In 2007, he joined cycling alongside his brother, competed in his first official race in 2008, and secured his first victory in 2009 at Krvavec Mountain. He attracted attention from coaches in junior and under-23 categories, demonstrating his aptitude for stage racing by winning events such as the Giro della Lunigiana and especially the Tour de l'Avenir, a key test for Grand Tour contenders. ### Professional Career Start (2018–2019) In 2018, he signed a contract with UAE Team Emirates. In 2019, he began his professional career in the World Tour category, finishing 13th in the Tour Down Under as his first race. That same year, he won the general classification in both the Volta ao Algarve and the Tour of California, becoming the youngest cyclist in history to win a World Tour stage race. He took the yellow jersey on stage six at the summit of Mt. Baldy and finished the race 16 seconds ahead of Colombian Sergio Higuita. In 2019, he also competed in his first Grand Tour, the Vuelta a España. At age 20, he won three stages and finished third overall. This result drew attention for his aggressive racing style and fearless climbing. ### Tour de France Victories #### 2020 and 2021 Victories In his debut Tour de France in 2020, Pogačar achieved a historic victory. He began the race as a domestique but seized the yellow jersey from his compatriot Primož Roglič in the final time trial. With this win, he became the first cyclist to simultaneously win the general classification, mountains classification, and young rider classification in the same Tour, and the second youngest Tour champion after Henri Cornet, who won in 1904. He also became the youngest Tour de France champion since World War II. ![Image](https://cdn.t3pedia.org/media/uploads/2026/07/27/bs7bWiX0pfU7D9sqG14ZObFJcsWXxdfp.jpg) *Tadej Pogačar (AA)* In the 2021 season, he successfully defended his title, winning five stages and reclaiming all three jerseys—general classification, mountains classification, and young rider classification—as he had in 2020. That same year, he competed in the Tokyo Olympic Games and won a bronze medal in the road race. #### 2022–2023: The Vingegaard Rivalry In the 2022 and 2023 Tour de France editions, Pogačar finished second behind Jonas Vingegaard. These two races helped ignite one of the most compelling rivalries in modern cycling. During this period, Pogačar continued to enrich his palmares with victories in races such as Strade Bianche (2022, 2023, 2024, 2025), Tirreno-Adriatico (2021, 2022), Tour of Flanders (2023, 2025), and Il Lombardia (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025). #### 2024: The Triple Crown The 2024 season began with victories in Strade Bianche and Liège–Bastogne–Liège. He then went on to win both the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France. With a total of 12 stage wins across the two Grand Tours, he surpassed Eddy Merckx’s record of 11 stage wins in a single season. This achievement made him the eighth cyclist to win both the Giro and the Tour in the same year, joining Fausto Coppi, Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, Stephen Roche, Miguel Induráin, and Marco Pantani. He capped off the season by winning the world road race championship in Zurich with a solo attack exceeding 100 kilometers. Thus, he became the third male cyclist to complete the Triple Crown by winning the Giro, the Tour, and the World Championship in the same season. ![Image](https://cdn.t3pedia.org/media/uploads/2026/07/27/dpiVxtfOnrdz3xNsxes6w5LdVKPcU9GD.jpg) *Tadej Pogačar (AA)* In addition, in the 2024 Giro d'Italia, he won six stages—a feat achieved by only three cyclists in the last 40 years. He won the Giro by nearly 10 minutes over his closest rivals. #### 2025: New Records The 2025 season began with victories in Strade Bianche, Tour of Flanders, and Liège–Bastogne–Liège. With these wins, he secured his ninth Monument victory in his seventh professional season—a feat previously accomplished only by Costante Girardengo, Fausto Coppi, and Sean Kelly. In spring, he also won the Flèche Wallonne and finished on the podium at both Milano–San Remo and Paris–Roubaix. In autumn, he claimed his fifth victory in Il Lombardia, setting a new record for the most wins in that race, and successfully defended his world road race title for the second consecutive year. In the same year, he won the European road race championship for the first time. At age 25, he became the first cyclist to surpass 10,000 points in the UCI World Ranking. In the 2025 Tour de France, he won the general classification and also claimed victory in the Critérium du Dauphiné. #### 2026: Fifth Tour Victory The 2026 season began with victories in Strade Bianche, Milano–San Remo, and Tour of Flanders. In Paris–Roubaix, he finished second as he had in 2025; however, in 2026 he was beaten by Wout van Aert, whereas in 2025 he had lost to Mathieu van der Poel. The 2026 Tour de France took place from 4 to 26 July 2026. Pogačar completed the race in first place overall with a total time of 73 hours, 56 minutes, and 26 seconds, securing his third consecutive and fifth overall general classification title (2020, 2021, 2024, 2025, 2026). With this victory, he joined the exclusive group of cyclists who have won the Tour de France five times: Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Induráin. Second place went to Belgian Remco Evenepoel, and third to his teammate, Mexican Isaac del Toro. Pogačar finished 6 minutes and 26 seconds ahead of Evenepoel and 9 minutes and 42 seconds ahead of del Toro, and won five stages during the race. ![Image](https://cdn.t3pedia.org/media/uploads/2026/07/27/o3spuQ8DnXdD1OY44DecZES6y1unGhsh.jpg) *Tadej Pogačar (AA)* The 21st and final stage of the race was shortened due to extraordinary conditions—forest fires. Dutch cyclist Mathieu van der Poel crossed the finish line first on the final stage. Pogačar launched multiple attacks during the ascent of Butte Montmartre, creating a 12-second gap with van der Poel 4.5 kilometers from the finish. However, he lost strength in the final hundreds of meters, rejoined his teammates, and surrendered the stage win to van der Poel. At the post-race press conference, Pogačar thanked his family and close circle, emphasizing the importance of the support from his wife Urška Žigart and his family. He also expressed pride in helping his teammate Isaac del Toro achieve a podium finish. On the podium, Pogačar was joined by his partner Urška Žigart and his family, who watched from the side of the Champs-Élysées. ### Other Race Results and Performances Some notable race performances in Pogačar’s career include: - **2024 Giro d'Italia, Stage 1:** In the opening stage held in Turin, Pogačar attacked on the San Vito climb but was overtaken in the final sprint by Jhonatan Narváez (Ineos Grenadiers), who took the stage win. Pogačar finished third, with Maximilian Schachmann in second. - **2024 Tour de France, Stage 17:** He launched an attack on the ascent to Super Devoluy in an attempt to break away from Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel, but the move failed. He finished the stage in 27th place, 7 minutes and 23 seconds behind race winner Richard Carapaz. He later described the move as “a foolish instinct.” ### Personal Life Pogačar has been in a long-term relationship with his compatriot and professional cyclist Urška Žigart. Žigart competes for the AG Insurance-Soudal Team. The couple began dating in 2019, during the period when both were making breakthroughs in the elite peloton. They live in Monaco. ![Image](https://cdn.t3pedia.org/media/uploads/2026/07/27/d2avh5P81vH1IFweRthlmlGklIRBGaYg.jpg) *Tadej Pogačar (AA)* With an annual salary of approximately 8 million euros, Pogačar is considered the highest-paid cyclist in the peloton. In addition to his contract with UAE Emirates-XRG, he holds sponsorship agreements with Plume (technology), Look (pedals), Met (helmet), DMT (shoes), I Feel Slovenia (tourism), and Richard Mille (watches). He has a contract with UAE Team Emirates valid until 2030. ### Records and Milestones - Youngest Tour de France champion since World War II (2020) - Third male cyclist to win the Giro d'Italia, Tour de France, and World Championship in the same season (Triple Crown, 2024) - First Slovenian male road race world champion - Most wins in Il Lombardia (tied with Fausto Coppi, then sole record holder after his fifth victory) - First cyclist to surpass 10,000 points in the UCI World Ranking at age 25 - One of only three cyclists to win six stages in a single Grand Tour (2024 Giro d'Italia) in the last 40 years ### Team Career Pogačar began his professional career in 2019 with UAE Team Emirates, which later became UAE Team Emirates-XRG. He is contracted to this team until 2030. ## Academic Sources and References 1. Anadolu Ajansı. "2026 Fransa Bisiklet Turu'nda Zafere Tadej Pogacar Ulaştı." Accessed July 27, 2026. https://f.aa.com.tr/tr/spor/2026-fransa-bisiklet-turunda-zafere-tadej-pogacar-ulasti/4010024 2. Cycling Weekly. "Record-Breaker Tadej Pogačar Wins Tour of California After Cees Bol Takes Stage Seven." Accessed July 27, 2026. https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/racing/record-breaker-tadej-pogacar-wins-tour-california-cees-bol-wins-stage-seven-424065 3. Cycling Weekly. "Tadej Pogačar Still Prone to 'Stupid Instinct' as His Attacks Continue in Week Three of the Tour de France." Accessed July 27, 2026. https://www.cyclingweekly.com/racing/tadej-pogacar-still-prone-to-stupid-instinct-as-his-attacks-continue-in-week-three-of-the-tour-de-france 4. Cyclingnews. "'Without Them I Wouldn't Be Standing Here Five Times' - Tadej Pogačar Pays Tribute to Family and Friends in Tour de France Winner's Speech." Accessed July 27, 2026. https://www.cyclingnews.com/pro-cycling/teams-riders/without-them-i-wouldnt-be-standing-here-five-times-tadej-pogacar-pays-tribute-to-family-and-friends-in-tour-de-france-winners-speech/ 5. Cyclingnews. "Giro d'Italia: Jhonatan Narváez Holds Off Tadej Pogačar in Lighting-Fast Stage 1 Finish." Accessed July 27, 2026. https://www.cyclingnews.com/races/giro-d-italia-2024/stage-1/results/ 6. Cyclist. "Opinion: Tadej Pogačar is the Greatest Of All Time." Accessed July 27, 2026. https://www-cyclist-co-uk.translate.goog/news/tadej-pogacar-greatest-of-all-time? 7. Domestique. "Biography of Pro Cyclist Tadej Pogacar." Accessed July 27, 2026. https://www.domestiquecycling.com/en/riders/tadej-pogacar/ 8. Enervit. "Tadej Pogačar: Biography, Palmarès and Triumphs of the World Cycling Star." Accessed July 27, 2026. https://www.enervit.com/en/tadej-pogacar 9. Le Tour de France. "Tadej Pogacar: 'You Might Think This Is a Fairytale - It's Incredible for Me Too'." Accessed July 27, 2026. https://www.letour.fr/en/news/2026/tadej-pogacar-you-might-think-this-is-a-fairytale-its-incredible-for-me-too/1356649 10. Le Tour de France. "Tadej Pogacar: 'You Might Think This Is a Fairytale - It's Incredible for Me Too'." Accessed July 27, 2026. https://www.letour.fr/en/news/2026/tadej-pogacar-you-might-think-this-is-a-fairytale-its-incredible-for-me-too/1356649 11. NBC Boston. "Vive Le Tour! With Young Winner, Thrilling Race Defies Virus." Accessed July 27, 2026. https://www.nbcboston.com/news/sports/pogacar-riding-to-victory-at-covid-defying-tour-de-france/2198092/ 12. Olympics.com. "Tadej Pogačar - Biography, Competitions, Wins and Medals." Accessed July 27, 2026. https://www.olympics.com/en/athletes/tadej-pogacar 13. Velo. "History Maker Tadej Pogačar Needs to Find a New Goal." Accessed July 27, 2026. https://velo.outsideonline.com/road/road-racing/tour-de-france/history-maker-tadej-pogacar-find-new-goal/ 14. Velo. "Philippe Gilbert Applauds Pogačar's Panache: 'He Wins with Style, not Like the Froome Era'." Accessed July 27, 2026. https://velo.outsideonline.com/road/road-racing/philippe-gilbert-applauds-pogacars-panache-he-wins-with-style-not-like-the-froome-era/?scope=anon