8 Tour de France Stats That Show Why Tadej Pogačar Is Unlike Anything We've Seen - Outside Magazine

What the report says

Outside reported that Tadej Pogačar’s fifth Tour de France title, secured at the end of the 2026 race, has moved the Slovenian rider into the sport’s elite group of official five-time winners alongside Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain. The magazine, citing statistics compiled by Michele Merlino for the Tour de France, said Pogačar reached that mark at 27 years and 10 months, younger than the other riders when they won their fifth Tours.

The article framed Pogačar’s dominance through several Tour records and near-records. Outside said he has finished on the final podium in each of his first seven Tour appearances, with victories in 2020, 2021, 2024, 2025 and 2026, and runner-up finishes in 2022 and 2023. It also reported that he is the first rider to win at least two stages in each of his first seven Tours, bringing his career stage total to 26, behind Mark Cavendish, Merckx and Hinault on the all-time list.

Outside also highlighted Pogačar’s time in race jerseys: 71 yellow jerseys, placing him third historically behind Merckx and Hinault, and a reported record 189 “distinctive jerseys” across yellow, white, polka-dot and green classifications. The article noted that comparisons across eras are imperfect because Tour rules, jersey categories and race formats have changed over time.

The significance is that Pogačar is no longer only accumulating wins; he is approaching some of cycling’s longest-standing benchmarks while still in his 20s. Outside suggested that, barring injury or a major change in priorities, he could continue challenging records once viewed as out of reach.