Tadej Pogacar awoke in Paris on Monday as the fastest and youngest cyclist to secure five Tour de France titles. The 27-year-old Slovene clinched his fifth overall victory on the Champs Elysées on Sunday evening, despite Matthieu van der Poel winning the thrilling final stage.

With this triumph, Pogacar joins the elite ranks of Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Induráin, and he is poised to chase a record-breaking sixth win. His mother, Marjeta, noted, "When it’s not fun anymore, that’s when he will stop," suggesting he could continue competing for another decade.

The French media widely praised Pogacar's achievement. L’Equipe celebrated his entry into the “club of five,” while Aujourd’hui dubbed it a “five-star triumph.” Le Figaro described him as “untouchable, implacable, and unbending.”

Statistically, Pogacar's dominance is remarkable:

• He spent nearly 9,500 km in the yellow jersey over 16,911 km ridden during his five wins.
• He became the youngest five-time winner, achieving his victories in just under 404 hours of racing.
• His average speed of 41.99 km/h surpasses any other five-time winner.

While Pogacar and his UAE Emirates XRG team thrived, taking home €832,750 in prize money, the Picnic PostNL team earned only €12,770. French cyclists faced mixed results, with no home stage wins for only the third time, though three riders finished in the top 10.

Paul Seixas, a promising 19-year-old, expressed disappointment at finishing fourth but remains motivated to improve.

Looking ahead, Pogacar is likely to confirm his participation in the Vuelta, while the future of rival Jonas Vingegaard remains uncertain after he crashed out. Speculation surrounds the nocturnal doping controls both riders underwent, although no results have been released. Le Figaro highlighted that maintaining credibility for both the Tour and Pogacar poses a challenge greater than any record.