"Tadej is truly a rider from another era" - Bernard Hinault praises Pogacar after closing down on Tour de France record
CyclingTuesday, 28 July 2026 at 11:49
Tadej Pogacar has won his fifth Tour de France and has become a record holder together with several other riders. Amongst those is Bernard Hinault, the last French winner back in 1985, who has nothing but praise for a 'rider from another era'.
"His cycling is poetry, but I must say, he already impressed me when he won the Tour de l'Avenir eight years ago. Since then, he has never stopped improving," Hinault said in words to Gazzetta dello Sport.
Pogacar's rise through the world of cycling has been one of the most notable stories of the 2020's, and the Slovenian is truly the rider who is set to headline this decade of racing. Ever since 2020, the Slovenian has conquered more than most riders could ever dream of.
This Sunday, a fifth Tour de France. "It's beautiful to see an athlete capable of staying at the top for so long. Like Merckx, and me. And it doesn't end there for him..." Pogacar shows no signs of slowing down, whilst expanding his palmarès and list of races he is capable of contesting with.
At this Tour, he has also beaten several records, including the time record of Marco Pantani on the Alpe d'Huez set back in 1998 by over a minute. However, Hinault doesn't make much of that.
"Comparisons are impossible. Everything is different: the roads, the materials, the training methods, the nutrition. That's why I find it absurd to even compare climb times decades apart," he argues. "Everyone is the number 1... of their era."
Tadej Pogacar and Isaac del Toro at the 2026 Tour de France
How long might Tadej Pogacar dominate for?
With a contract currently lasting until 2030, it is possible to see the Slovenian in the peloton for four more full seasons. What he might achieve in this period of time can see him break further reacords.
"He could reach 32. I don't think he'll have to worry about physical wear and tear; he knows how to manage it. If anything, he'll worry about mental wear and tear. He's having fun: he loves competition and thrives in adversity."
At UAE Team Emirates - XRG, the World Champion appears to find a good position in life that he looks to maintain. Aside from winning the Tour, he spent the three weeks aiding teammate Isaac del Toro onto the final podium and white jersey.
"Yes, in the way he competes. When he feels like racing, he does it. He doesn't ask too many questions, like Eddy [Merckx] and I. Think of the two World Championships he won, those attacks from so far away... Impressive".
"And the Classics, too. He doesn't wait until the final kilometers, and believe me, that's fabulous for the spectators," Hinault states - something he sees in some of Pogacar's own rivals, due to the current level in the peloton.
"Have you seen how many people there are on the roads of the Tour? Pogacar has attracted so many new fans to cycling. Before, perhaps, they only watched the final kilometers. Not now. Tadej is truly a rider from another era. I must say, even Remco Evenepoel has this attitude."
Did Tadej Pogacar gift anyone at the Tour?
A topic of debate during this Tour, after the withdrawal of Jonas Vingegaard, was if Tadej Pogacar had given up a few opportunities to win stages.
Dutch pundit Thijs Zonneveld believes this was the case: "Pogacar granted it to Evenepoel (stage 15, ed.), he granted it to Del Toro (stage 2, ed.), and now he granted it to Van der Poel as well," he said after the Dutchman's win on the Champs-Élysées.
But Hinault refuted this idea. "No. He rides to win, not to give gifts. When his level drops, he won't receive gifts..."
With five Tour wins, 2027 could become historic in that he may become the sole record holder if he wins the yellow jersey once again. "He has no limits. There's time to recover between the Grand Tours. And he could reach more than six Tours. He has a margin over his rivals," the French legend concluded.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- Three examples: Remco and MVDP....and last year in week 3 of TdF. He gifted Jonas a win over him.PogiSloFans28-07-2026
- Pogi is just a nice guy. For some cyclists (Del Toro, Remco and MVDP) Santa came early this year. Without Pogi, MVDP would have never won on Montmartre, and we all know it. Van der Poel "owes Pogi one Paris Roubaix"... it's a joke. The media is saying Pogi joined the club of 5X TdF winners. That's true, but he wants to make his own exclusive club of record holders... 6 TdF wins. Who will join him in years to come? I think probably nobody. Pogi is "Last of the Mohicans."PogiSloFans28-07-2026
- pogačar is NOT a gift giver to anyone who doesn’t ride for UAE and HIM, and even then it’s a rare occurrence. del toro and mcnulty are all i can recall within UAE. but to a rider from any other team? give me just ONE example…OCexile28-07-2026
- Further.... his bs diminishes the brilliance of the last stage and what MVDP achieved!slappers6628-07-2026
- As long as Pogicar is the dominant gc rider Ayuso is looking like a top ten rider at best. He might surprise us yet though. I hope so.Cyclingsbestfan28-07-2026
- NO, Pogi needs to retire, Jonas needs to become old or Trine needs to tell him to retireabstractengineer28-07-2026
- He has to give up till Pogi retiresabstractengineer28-07-2026
- How so whknan?Cyclingsbestfan28-07-2026
- First step prove yourself in the Giro Vuelta, learn how to manage yourself with the new team. 2 years, then assault on Pogi. Going into the TDF with even a small issue means you are defeated before you start. The TDF are raced at supersonic speedsabstractengineer28-07-2026
- Its called tactics. Why would Log chase every rider if he had 7 mins lead over 2nd place. The author is suggesting that Pog should race like a 4th cat and chase very person that goes up the road. Lets be hones the riders doing the podcast are not exactly top draw pros. I have never even heard of them . Clickbait thoughpaultryan200228-07-2026
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