Sports Poets Society

Slovenian set to complete recordequalling fifth Tour de France win ‘Even with the rough days, the team spirit cannot be better’     - Tadej Pogačar 26 Jul 2026 - THE OBSERVER / Sport Tadej Pogačar will ride into Paris today ready to be crowned the Tour de France winner for the third successive year and a record-equalling fifth time. The world champion sealed his latest victory by smashing Marco Pantani’s 1995 record time by one minute and 13 seconds to win atop the mythical Alpe d’Huez on Friday. The 27-year-old ascended the 13.8km col at an average speed of 23.9km/h, adding to his folklore and legend, and in the process ensuring that one of the famous 21 hairpins will be named after him. “It’s a 30-something-years-old record finally broken, so that’s something good for us,” Pogačar said, admitting, once again, that records don’t motivate him. But the management team of UAE Team Emirates-XRG were in tears. “I don’t know why they get so emotional,” Pogačar deadpanned. “I ...

Loic Venance/ AFP/Getty Images - Setting the pace: Tadej Pogačar’s domination has  caused  dejection among his rivals, with his lead after 14 stages being the largest since 2014. ‘Everybody wants to be in team UAE because  you can  decide a little bit how the race happens.  It’s fun’     - Tim Wellens, UAE rider 19 Jul 2026 - THE OBSERVER /S port Chris Marshall-Bell Tadej Pogačar’s stranglehold on the Tour de France was reinforced as he won his fourth stage and increased his advantage at the top of the general classification to four minutes and 30 seconds, with a week’s racing still to go. In pursuit of a record-equalling fifth yellow jersey, his domination of the Tour has caused dejection throughout the rest of the peloton, with his lead after 14 stages the largest since 2014. Pogačar’s desire to win all of the four mountain stages so far, coupled with his UAE Team Emirates-XRG dictating the rhythm and flow in almost every stage, has led to alleg...