Was this the year when Tadej Pogacar would face his toughest challenge yet in winning another Tour de France? His fifth? Before the race began, that was the question many were asking. Jonas Vingegaard appeared to be better prepared, new contenders such as Isaac del Toro and Paul Seixas had emerged, the route looked more open and, in general, there was a feeling that the Tour needed to avoid another one-sided domination like the one seen since 2020.
The Slovenian answered that question almost immediately. On the first major mountain stage, he produced one of the greatest performances of his career. He attacked nearly five kilometres from the summit of the Tourmalet, dropped Vingegaard without the Dane being able to respond and reached the top in 43 minutes and 12 seconds, smashing by more than two minutes the record they had set together in 2023.
The climb everyone wants to conquer
Talking about the Tourmalet means talking about a legendary climb, perhaps the most legendary of them all. With more than a century of history in the Tour de France, it is arguably the most iconic ascent in world cycling. Coppi, Merckx, Hinault, Indurain, Contador and Froome have all ridden its slopes. Winning there has always been part of a champion’s legacy. Holding the fastest ascent adds an extra layer of prestige for today’s generation. Cycling has also changed. For decades, fans compared victories and yellow jerseys. Today, they also compare climbing times.
The popularity of platforms such as Strava has turned the sport’s greatest climbs into global segments. Every year, thousands of amateur cyclists ride the Tourmalet, Alpe d’Huez, Galibier or Hautacam and understand exactly what it means to shave a few seconds off a time… or more than two minutes off a historic record. That culture of measuring every climb has brought into the mainstream a conversation that was once limited to sports directors, coaches and specialists.
The Tourmalet record no longer belongs only to the Tour de France. It is now part of a permanent ranking shared by professionals and amateurs, even though they compete in completely different worlds.
A champion already racing against history
Since 2020, Pogacar has won four Tour de France titles, one Giro d’Italia, two UCI Road World Championships, one European Championship and thirteen Monuments, while surpassing 120 professional victories. A palmarès that places him at the forefront of 21st-century cycling and increasingly invites comparisons with some of the greatest riders in the history of the sport. The Tourmalet now adds another symbolic title, as it means owning the benchmark time on the most iconic climb in the Tour de France.
It is worth pointing out that the conditions also contributed to such an extraordinary performance. The relentless pace set by UAE Team Emirates from the foot of the climb, combined with a favourable tailwind, allowed several riders to beat the previous record set in 2023. Vingegaard, Evenepoel, Juan Ayuso, Isaac del Toro and Paul Seixas all climbed the Tourmalet faster than the previous best time.
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