Overnight, Tadej Pogačar joined cycling’s most exclusive club and solidified his position among the greatest cyclists of all time.

The 27-year-old Slovenian won the 2026 Tour de France by six minutes and 26 seconds, collecting five stage victories and a fifth overall yellow jersey.

Only Jacques Anquetil, Bernard Hinault, Miguel Indurain and Eddy Merckx have also won the Tour five times.

Pogačar is a complete cyclist: he can win long mountain stages, time trials and explosive uphill finishes, while also beating specialists in one-day classic races.

So what makes Pogačar different from other riders who are already among the world’s best?

An exceptional engine

Tour contenders need enormous aerobic capacity, which comes from the ability of the heart, lungs, blood and muscles to deliver and use oxygen.

Cyclists also need to convert this oxygen into mechanical power efficiently and produce high power relative to their body mass.

Pogačar’s physiological data remain estimates rather than reported laboratory values. It’s been estimated he can sustain about 442 watts on the bike for more than 40 minutes. This equates to a maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max) two to three times higher than a normal healthy adult and exceeding most elite athletes.

Pogačar provided a glimpse into his physiology and training during an interview on Peter Attia’s The Drive podcast. He said he doesn’t rely heavily on VO2max or........

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