2026 Tour de France begins as Pogacar chases fifth title

Bernard Hinault has made clear his belief that Tadej Pogačar will join cycling's most exclusive fraternity of five-time Tour de France champions, with the Slovenian beginning his pursuit of a record-equalling title as the 2026 race got underway in Barcelona on Saturday.

The Club of Five

Pogačar, 27, has won four of his five Tour appearances since his debut in 2020, with only Jonas Vingegaard defeating him in 2022 and 2023. A fifth victory this July would draw him level with Hinault, Eddy Merckx, Jacques Anquetil, and Miguel Indurain — the only riders to achieve the feat in the race's 113-year history.

Hinault, speaking ahead of the race, has previously noted Pogačar's "ability and his desire to win, and especially this year, with the aim of equalling the record of five Tours." The Frenchman has gone further, stating that Pogačar "can win at least six Tours." Merckx has echoed the sentiment, telling Belgian news agency Belga that Pogačar is "obviously the big favourite" and adding: "Given his qualities, that would be expected, and he is certainly welcome in our club. Perhaps he will be the first to add a sixth to his name."cyclingnews+2

A Dominant 2026 Season

Pogačar arrives at the Tour in imperious form. He won three Monuments this spring — Milan-San Remo, the Tour of Flanders, and Liège-Bastogne-Liège — before claiming overall victory at the Tour de Romandie with four stage wins and sealing the Tour de Suisse title in June with a commanding performance on the final climb to Villars-sur-Ollon. According to FloBikes, he accumulated 11 wins in just 15 race days before the Tour.cyclingstage+3

Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme declared Pogačar "the No. 1 favourite for this edition, without the slightest doubt" in a pre-race interview with L'Équipe, adding: "He is incontestably dominant."veloracycling

The Race Begins

The 113th Tour de France opened Saturday with a 19.6-kilometre team time trial through the streets of Barcelona, the first team time trial to start the race since 1971. Pogačar's UAE Team Emirates-XRG squad set off last, at 18:55 local time. Vingegaard, who won the 2026 Giro d'Italia, and Remco Evenepoel are considered his primary challengers over the 3,333-kilometre, 21-stage route that concludes in Paris on July 26.bikeradar+4

Whether Pogačar can be stopped remains the central question. As one Cyclingnews preview put it: "If a certain Slovenian doesn't win this year's Tour de France, it will be a bigger story than if he does."road