Tadej Pogacar dominates the Tour de France, and the competition doesn't even blame him – but doubts will accompany the playboy of cycling

Ben Healy won the sixth stage of the Tour de France—the greatest success of the 24-year-old Irishman's career. While other athletes thank their parents, partners, coaches, and team in such moments, Healy said: "I'm grateful to Tadej Pogacar for letting our breakaway go."

Pogacar will cross the finish line in Paris on Sunday as the Tour de France winner for the fourth time. This puts him level with Christopher Froome, who also won the Grande Boucle four times. Only Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Miguel Indurain, and Bernard Hinault have five victories in their tally. Pogacar is likely to break this record at some point and set new standards – provided he stays healthy. He is only 26 years old.

The Slovenian was already the favorite before the Grand Départ in Lille and was never seriously challenged during the three-week tour. He appeared untouchable. His rival Jonas Vingegaard also realized this. Pogacar countered every attack by the Dane effortlessly, often outsprinting Vingegaard. He won at will – not only in the mountains, but also on the hilly stages in the first half of the Tour. The all-rounder won four stages in this Tour, leaving his rivals with only crumbs. They, like Healy, were victors at Pogacar's mercy.

Pogacar's versatility is even sparking debates about rule changes. He almost won the green jersey for the rider with the highest points score – an award previously reserved mostly for sprinters. Many call him the "Cannibal," in reference to Eddy Merckx, who similarly dominated cycling in the 1970s.

Like Merckx, Pogacar no longer only wins stage races. While previous Tour winners focused obsessively on the most important tour of the year, Pogacar also wins classiques like Liège–Bastogne–Liège and the Tour of Flanders. He also nearly claimed victory at Paris–Roubaix this year—a race that doesn't really suit the slender rider.

The chances of victory for his rivals are getting smaller and smaller. Irishman Healy finished third at Liège–Bastogne–Liège this spring and jokingly asked the winner Pogacar afterward when he would retire. The reply: "I still have a contract until 2030. So maybe then."

But the term "cannibal" is too simplistic. Pogacar is too popular in the peloton for that. This is due not only to his successes but also to his relaxed manner; he is known for his jokes. At this Tour, he played a prank on the Swiss rider Marc Hirschi on a flat stage, and the video went viral. Last year, at the Tour of the Basque Country, he faked an attack, only to take a bathroom break, hide behind a bush, and wait for the approaching peloton. And after winning the 2024 World Championship in Zurich, he flirted with the story that he almost missed the start .

Off the road, Pogacar presents himself as an approachable superstar. Unlike some of his competitors, he doesn't leave the UAE team bus through the back door, but instead faces the hustle and bustle. He poses for selfies in the crowd, gives interviews, accepts gifts; recently, someone handed him a cowbell. Pogacar politely thanked him. And then he says things like: "I enjoy the Tour de France. I love being with the team. We're one big family." This solidarity, not victories, motivates him.

Pogacar also often mentions his parents. They accompany him on the Tour from the roadside – not in the VIP area with champagne and snacks, but in a camper van: "Look, we've remained a normal family." Of course, this is all a carefully cultivated image. Pogacar's public perception differs from that of former dominant riders like Lance Armstrong or Chris Froome for more than just this reason.

Armstrong won seven Tour de France victories between 1999 and 2005, but these victories were revoked for doping. Even before his conviction, he received no adoration or sympathy; at most, only awe. The American was hated in the peloton for his demeanor; he was considered a bully within his team, intimidating teammates and competitors.

Froome was unpopular in the peloton because his then-dominant Sky team was crushing the competition. Hardly anyone has a bad word to say about Pogacar. Even his opponents say he's a "nice guy," "uncomplicated," and "humble."

Cycling has a superstar who not even his rivals hold against him when he snatches victories from under their noses. Is everything rosy? Not at all. This year, Pogacar once again broke records in the mountains from the doping-ridden era of cycling.

On Mont Ventoux, the giant of Provence, he and Vingegaard rode so fast that they reached the summit three minutes earlier than Marco Pantani in 1994. Some experts believe that such feats are impossible without illegal aids.

Among Pogacar's critics is former Festina coach and current doping analyst Antoine Vayer. He experienced the darkest times in cycling, culminating in the 1998 Festina scandal and the entire team's exclusion from the Tour. The Frenchman refers to Pogacar as "Pogastrong," in reference to Armstrong.

Using climb times and body weight, Vayer calculates the riders' wattages and concludes that something is amiss with Pogacar. He claims he's riding clean. Anyone who believes that is ignorant or an accomplice, Vayer told the "NZZ am Sonntag" newspaper last year . However, he offers no evidence.

The peloton remains quiet when allegations of cheating or doping are raised – including with Pogacar. In Armstrong's case, it was different; everyone knew what was going on. The last doping case occurred at the 2015 Tour de France. Is cycling clean? Can Pogacar's explosive performances be explained by talent, optimized training methods, and progress in equipment and nutrition? Perhaps.

But doubts will continue to surround Pogacar in the future. Despite all the admiration for his dominance, a specter looms over cycling: the next major doping case.

An article from the « NZZ am Sonntag »