Tadej Pogachar won a historic double of the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France on Sunday. But while the Slovenian star was visibly pleased to have taken another major step toward the greatest feat in the sport's history, the leader of UAE Team Emirates said he is not particularly interested in studying his own achievements in terms of pure cycling statistics He denied that.

Late Sunday night, at the victory press conference, Pogachar was told that, in addition to other new records, his lead from stage 4 to the finish in Nice had been broken for the longest uninterrupted time in yellow in a single Tour de France in 63 years. He was asked if he regretted giving up the yellow jersey for one day, although he had regained it in the Alps after giving up the lead he had won on stage 2 to Richard Carapace in Turin on stage 3.

Pogachar immediately turned the question on its head, saying that, in fact, he was always interested in statistics and records, but that his attention was on the records of other competitors, not his own.

“Let's talk a little bit about Mark Cavendish's record. Everyone wanted him to win more, but he never gave up.”

“At first he didn't think about the record, but I think he did in the last few years when he started winning the Tour again. As of now. I'm always interested in looking at other statistics and records, but I don't think about my own records.”

Pogachar said he did not think twice at all about the fact that the 2024 yellow jersey fell on the shoulders of Richard Karapas for one day, and in the process indirectly helped Ecuador win the Tour de France's first ever leader's jersey

“He deserved it,” Pogachar said. 'He had a very good Tour and took the polka-dot mountains jersey. I had heard he was sick before the Tour and didn't have a good preparation. Richard had a great Tour.

Pogachar emphasized this claim when asked by another journalist about being the youngest rider ever to win the Tour de France three times, apart from his Giro and Tour double.

The eighth rider in history to win the Tour overall for the third time, 25 years and 10 months old, Eddy Merckx is the next youngest on record, winning for the third time at 26 years, 1 month and 1 day. Bernard Inaud was 26 years, 8 months and 5 days, Jacques Anquetil was 28 years, 6 months and 7 days, and Miguel Indurain was 29 years, 9 days.

It is hardly a coincidence that the four riders following him have five Tour de France wins, but Pogachar reiterated that he is not interested in records, at least for now.

“Like I said before, I don't like to see myself in records, statistics, or history,” he said. But right now I want to enjoy this moment and be content even if I never come back to the Tour de France again.”

While it is unlikely that Pogachar will put a period on his career right now, he is the eighth rider to win the Giro and Tour double and the first since Bernard Hinault in 1979 to win at least six stages before winning the overall. (The all-time record for Tour winners is eight, held by Eddy Merckx in 1970 and again in 1974.)

Pogachar's total of 39 days in the Giro and Tour is the most by a Grand Tour overall leader in a single season and two days more than Eddy Merckx's previous record of 37 total days. In addition, the leader of UAE Team Emirates became the first ever winner of the final three stages of the Tour, a feat achieved by Charles Pélissier in 1930.

Finally, Pogachar and Jonas Vingegaard's already recorded podium finish in the top two places was extended for another year. The rivalry with Vingegaard was one of the highlights of the 2024 Tour, but as Pogachar told reporters, he was happy to fight not only Vingegaard but all the other competitors.

“This year's tour was really special for me. With Lemko, Primoš Roglic, Jonas, and the rest of the field, there was a lot of anticipation for a big fight, a big showdown. We threw a lot of punches at each other and everyone showed balls at some point from start to finish. In the end, I can rejoice and be proud to emerge from this battle as a winner. But the entire cycling world can enjoy this moment.

Asked if he could name the most memorable moment of the four weeks of the Tour de France, he replied, “I'd have to say the Tour de France. Apart from being on the podium today, the stage on the Col du Galibier was my sixth victory and my first.

“So I probably have Galibier in my head, but right now I have images of all the stages running through my head, so it's hard to concentrate and make the best of one moment.”

How Pogachar pulled off the Giro/Tour double will no doubt be fully analyzed in the coming weeks and months. In the short term, however, he also revealed at his victory press conference that, in a sense, the starting point for the process dates back to 24 months ago, when he lost to Vismaris A Bike in 2022, his first Tour de France defeat.

“Certainly the preparation this year was really smooth. But we had one bad day in the 2022 Tour. Jumbo, Primoš (Roglic), and Jonas really cracked me. They really threw some great punches at me. So I had one bad day and one mistake on the tour that year. [I won Flanders, Amstel, Flèche, and Paris-Nice, and I was full of confidence. But I broke my wrist in Liège-Bastogne-Liège and had to start riding my bike again a month before the Tour.

“I was really down after that, but this year I was able to bounce back with perfect preparation. I was really happy to be able to pull that off.”

The riskiest time for Pogachar this season was between the Giro and the Tour.

“It was very simple,” he said. I just tried to relax and recover and had a great time with my girlfriend Urschka [Zigato]. She was preparing for the Tour de Suisse and the All-Japan Championships, where she finished in the top 10 in Switzerland and took two jerseys at the All-Japan Championships. During the month between the Giro and the Tour we gave each other great support. Then I did a couple of days of hard training.

After the Tour, Pogachar is, in theory, much more comfortable now, and aside from the Paris Olympics and the World Championships, his plans are likely to be relatively modest.

“I'm very tired. Thank you for caring,” he joked, as his energy seems to never run out. The last four months have been full on with the Giro, full on with the Tour, and a lot of time away from home. I'm exhausted.”

But going back on the record one last time, Pogachar concluded that he has no intention of challenging for the Vuelta a España. At least not in 2024, which will not happen.

“I certainly had it in my head to go to the Vuelta. But I'm trying to let it go. For me, the way to end the season is to have a good August, relax a bit, prepare well for the World Championships, and give it my all there.”

Of course, a win in Zurich would make him the first rider since Stéphane Roche in 1987 to win the historic “triple crown” of Giro, Tour, and Rainbow jersey. But just looking at what he has already accomplished this season, many would argue that his place among the sport's greats, not to mention its records, is already guaranteed.

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