Pogacar wins fifth Tour as Van der Poel takes stage

Pogacar wins fifth Tour as Van der Poel takes stageImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Tadej Pogacar is considered one of the greatest riders of all timeByMatt WarwickBBC Sport Senior JournalistPublished17 minutes agoSlovenian Tadej Pogacar won the Tour de France for a record-equalling fifth time.The 27-year-old UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider crossed the line on Paris' Champs-Elysees in the peloton to join Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain as the sport's most successful male riders.The three-week Grand Tour's final stage was won by the Netherlands' Mathieu van der Poel of Alpecin-Premier Tech after a frantic charge to the line on the French capital's famous cobbles in which he pipped Denmark's Mads Pedersen by inches.Pogacar's victory means he is positioned by many as the greatest cyclist of all time, superseding the achievements and status of Belgian legend Merckx.It also marks Pogacar's third Tour win in succession and includes a record-breaking ascent of the iconic Alpe d'Huez on stage 19, when he sealed another dominant victory.It was the last of four stage wins in a race in which Pogacar used his explosive launch and umatchable metronomic pace to see off his rivals, who for some time have had virtually no answer.Pogacar has won almost every major race in the sport, including the Tour of Flanders, Giro d'Italia, Milan-San Remo, Road World Championships, Giro di Lombardia and Liege-Bastgone-Liege.Pogacar was booed by some fans during the Tour, as his performances are often so far ahead of any of his peers that some feel frustrated the sport is losing its competitive edge.He now has 126 wins in an eight-year elite professional career.High drama on the Champs-ElyseesThe famous final stage, which for the overall contenders is an unchallenged formality, typically becomes a flat bunch sprint.Last year organisers ASO introduced a circuit which takes on a cobbled climb over the city...