Pogacar eyes fourth Tour crown as rivals scramble to keep pace

PARIS :Reigning champion Tadej Pogacar begins his bid for a fourth Tour de France title on Saturday, seeking to cement his status among cycling's greatest all-rounders, with rivals Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel hoping to find a weakness in his armour.

The race's 112th edition begins in Lille, with Slovenia's Pogacar, who previously triumphed in 2020, 2021, and 2024, aiming to join Britain's Chris Froome in the elite club of four-time winners.

That would edge him closer to the record five titles held by Bernard Hinault, Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx and Miguel Indurain.

The 26-year-old world champion's scintillating spring classics campaign, featuring victories at the Tour of Flanders and Liege-Bastogne-Liege plus podiums at Milan-Sanremo and Paris-Roubaix, showcased his versatility and drew comparisons to Merckx and Hinault.

Pogacar's dominance continued at last month's Criterium du Dauphine, where he claimed three stages and overall victory by 59 seconds over two-time Tour winner Vingegaard.

"For sure, this helps the morale and motivation for the Tour because it is the biggest goal of the season. I think it is a mental boost for all the team," he said after his commanding performance.

His sole vulnerability emerged during the Dauphine's 17.4km time trial, where he conceded 48 seconds to Evenepoel and 28 to Vingegaard - a potential weakness with two time trials totalling 43.9km awaiting in this year's Tour.

Denmark's Vingegaard, enjoying smoother preparation than last year when he was recovering from a serious injury, aims to reclaim the crown after finishing over six minutes behind Pogacar in 2024.

The 28-year-old, who won the Tour in 2022 and 2023, suffered a concussion during March's Paris-Nice but rebounded to