In the year\u2019s UCI Rankings, his total of 11,620 points is nearly double that of the rider ranking second, Vingegaard, and was enough to put Slovenia in third place in the Nation Rankings, behind only Belgium and Denmark. But it\u2019s not only his numerical achievements that make him the rider of the year and, so far, of the century, but the manner of his victories \u2013 often by long, devastating solos \u2013 and the\u00a0 simple fact that whenever he is entered in a race, he is expected to win and almost always does<\/p>\n
Such is his dominance of the sport \u2013 he dominates road racing the way the Eiffel Tower dominates the Paris skyline \u2013 that no other rider\u2019s name could have even been considered for the V\u00e9lo d\u2019Or. Some of the other riders on the shortlist \u2013 Remco Evenepoel, Jonas Vingegaard<\/a> and Mads Pedersen \u2013 had very good years. Evenepoel won the ITT World Championship, Vingegaard dominated the Vuelta and Pedersen \u2013 the second-best male rider of the year, in my book \u2013 won 13 races, including five Grand Tour stages. But Poga\u010dar really has no credible rivals. He doesn\u2019t just deserve the award; he embodies it. As the V\u00e9lo d\u2019Or\u2019s website puts it, the award \u201ccelebrates not only victory, but also flair, consistency, and the ability to thrill fans throughout the season.\u201d That is Pogi down to his shoelaces.<\/p>\n The Slovenian world champion previously won the award in 2021 and 2024 and is now level with Chris Froome with three wins. Since the V\u00e9lo d\u2019Or was first awarded in 1992, Alberto Contador is the only rider who has won it four times. Guess who\u2019s going to match that next year.<\/p>\n
![\"Tadej](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Pogacar-Velo-dOr-profimedia-1056972086.webp.webp\")
<\/a>If any rider but Tadej Poga\u010dar had been given the award, the Earth would have shifted on its axis and swallows would not have returned to Capistrano. \u00a9 Profimedia