L’ALPE D’HUEZ (France) — After all but securing a second-placed finish behind Tadej Pogacar at the Tour de France, Remco Evenepoel was asked what it would take to win the Grande Boucle one day.

“Pogi not starting,” he quipped “At least for the next few years, it’s that simple.”

Pogacar had just all but wrapped up his record-equalling fifth Tour crown at the end of the brutal Queen stage on the penultimate day of the 113th edition of the world’s toughest cycle race.

Evenepoel had just clawed back around 40 seconds to the world champion, but only because Pogacar had decided to ride to the finish line alongside his young team-mate Isaac Del Toro rather than fight for the stage win.

Despite shipping that time, Pogacar is still set to finish with his widest winning margin yet at a Tour, beating his 2024 advantage over Jonas Vingegaard by nine seconds.

Aged just 27, Pogacar will become the youngest person to win five Tour titles, having also been the youngest to win his first.

But under normal circumstances, Pogacar should just be arriving at his cycling peak, rather than making history.

He says that he has not seen any improvement in his watts or power output in the last two years, but that it is the little details that have made the difference.

“This year I felt that (I’m) not getting much stronger,” he said.

“Since 2024 I would say the numbers are there but you know you get more experience, you deal with things differently, you have just small things that are improving.

“Maybe the numbers are the same in the last two years but it’s the details that sometimes count and the mood and emotions and all.

“I think this is where I’m improving a lot and taking experiences.

“I think that’s why also I ride super good this Tour.”