Pogacar plays down Armstrong’s Tour record theory as focus stays on yellow jersey

Asked whether seven victories had become a personal target, the Slovenian quickly redirected attention towards the immediate challenge of completing the 2026 Tour in the yellow jersey.

“I got this question in the morning,” Pogačar said during his press conference in quotes collected by Cycling Weekly. “I don’t know. I can’t say anything.”

The race leader then made his current priority clear.

“I don’t go for records,” he said. “I just want to finish this Tour with yellow in Paris. That is the main focus.”

Pogačar is in a commanding position to claim the fifth Tour victory of his career. Doing so would place him alongside Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Induráin, who share the official record of five overall wins.

Pogačar is in a commanding position to claim the fifth Tour victory of his career. Doing so would place him alongside Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Induráin, who share the official record of five overall wins.

That prospect recently prompted Armstrong to offer a different interpretation of the benchmark Pogačar may ultimately be chasing.

Speaking on THE MOVE podcast after stage nine, Armstrong predicted that the Slovenian would be presented as a joint record holder if he completed another successful Tour.

“He’s going to win this Tour, isn’t he? His fifth,” Armstrong said. “And after the finish, we’re all going to hear that Tadej Pogačar has tied the all time record for Tour victories and joined that exclusive club of five.”

Armstrong finished the Tour in yellow seven consecutive times between 1999 and 2005. All seven results were later removed from the official record following the doping case against him. The race organisers did not award those victories to other riders.

Despite his absence from the official list, Armstrong believes Pogačar will still see seven as a significant number.

“He knows damn well what the real record is,” Armstrong said.

The American also suggested that a fifth victory would not persuade Pogačar to step away from the Tour in future seasons.

“Don’t count on him taking a year off after that,” he said.

Armstrong described records as a natural source of motivation for elite athletes and said he hoped Pogačar would eventually surpass his former total.

“I’m an athlete,” Armstrong said. “Sometimes you break a record or set a new one. Records are there to be broken. I sincerely hope he goes for it.”

Pogačar, meanwhile, is keeping his attention on the Tour at hand. The debate over records can wait. For now, his only concern is arriving in Paris in yellow.