Tadej Pogacar Reflects on a Phenomenal 2026 Season Despite a Premature and Brutal End

Despite a season that concluded in brutal fashion, 2026 solidified Tadej Pogacar's trajectory toward becoming the greatest cyclist of all time, alongside cementing his status as one of the world's most dominant athletes. Supported by UAE Team Emirates -XRG, the Slovenian star added seven major titles to his impressive resume and racked up a total of 22 victories, highlighted by a record-equalling fifth Tour de France crown. Pogacar was also on track to secure his first Vuelta a Espana title before a severe crash on Stage 8 resulted in a broken collarbone requiring surgery, cutting his campaign short. Below is a race-by-race look back at his extraordinary season.

Back with a bang in Tuscany
After skipping the defense of his UAE Tour crown—won by teammate Isaac del Toro—Pogacar opened his season in style at the Strade Bianche on March 7. Backed by his team, Pogacar launched a solo attack to secure his third successive victory and a record fourth title, crossing the finish line in Tuscany one minute ahead of Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM), with Del Toro in third. This marked the sixth consecutive year Pogacar won his season debut.

Milan-San Remo ticked off list
Even an early crash that left him with cuts, bruises, and a torn skinsuit could not prevent Pogacar from winning Milan-San Remo for the first time on March 21, securing victory by the slimmest of margins. Pogacar recovered from a fall just before the Cipressa climb to edge out Tom Pidcock (Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling) by half a wheel. The triumph marked his 11th Monument victory, tying him with Roger de Vlaeminck, with only Eddy Merckx holding more.

Belgium brilliance with solo win
Pogacar claimed his third consecutive win of the year with a record-equalling third victory at the Tour of Flanders on April 5, successfully defending his title. Launching a solo breakaway with 18km remaining, the Slovenian finished 34 seconds ahead of Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-BORA-hansgorhe), marking his fourth consecutive Monument victory.

Edged out in Paris-Roubaix thriller
One week later, attention shifted to the Paris-Roubaix, the final Monument missing from Pogacar's palmares. A thrilling battle with Wout van Aert (Visma – Lease a Bike) led to a tense two-man sprint in the Roubaix velodrome, where the Dutchman ultimately triumphed, leaving Pogacar in second place for the second consecutive year.

Back to winning ways
Normal service resumed in Belgium as Pogacar secured his third straight Liege-Bastogne-Liege title on April 26. The world champion fought off a challenge from Seixas before breaking away on the final climb with 14km to go, finishing 45 seconds ahead of the French rider to claim his 13th Monument crown.

Debut delight at Tour de Romandie
Pogacar next tackled his first stage race of the campaign at the Tour de Romandie in Switzerland on April 28. Dominating the field with four stage wins in a week, he finished the General Classification 42 seconds clear of Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-BORA-hansgorhe).

More Swiss success
Returning to Switzerland the following month ahead of the Tour de France, Pogacar triumphed at the Tour de Suisse. Securing victories in three of the five stages, he finished the General Classification six minutes and 32 seconds ahead of Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost).

Historic Tour title
At the Tour de France starting on July 26, Pogacar dominated from start to finish, winning five stages and wearing the leader's yellow jersey for 16 of the 21 days. His fifth title equalled the record held by Jacques Anquetil, Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Indurain, finishing 6:26 ahead of Evenepoel, while teammate Del Toro sealed third place on his debut.

Pain in Spain
Less than a month after his Paris triumph, Pogacar lined up for the Vuelta a Espana to pursue a Grand Tour clean sweep. After winning the opening time trial by a fraction of a second and securing stage victories in Andorra and Stage 6, his campaign ended prematurely due to a heavy crash on Stage 8 while leading the General Classification by nearly four minutes.