"Tadej is truly a rider from another era" - Bernard Hinault praises Pogacar after closing down on Tour de France record
Cycling
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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- I get the point totally. We live in the snowflake society where some riders forget they are getting paid to ride and get results. When they have a few issues they try to look outside of the real issue instead of themselves. It odd so many of the team are making no complaints and getting on with their job. If you do not like what you do find another job simples. Tough love as my mum would say.paultryan200207-11-2026
- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
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