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Slovenian superstar Tadej Pogacar appears well on his way to winning a fourth career Tour de France. Pogacar won Friday’s Stage 14 time trial, his fourth stage win of the 2025 tour, and extended his lead over rival Jonas Vingegaard to a whopping four minutes and seven seconds.
While some are lauding Pogacar’s dominant performance, calling him the greatest cyclist of all time, others are raising eyebrows. The remarkable performance is drawing comparisons to those of Lance Armstrong, who won a record seven consecutive editions of the Tour de France from 1999-2005 before having those victories stripped following a doping scandal.
Pogacar himself has never tested posted for any banned substances. But his performances are becoming more and more eyebrow raising. He dominates not only in the mountains, where his 140-pound frame is most suited, but also on the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix, a race typically suited to heavier riders, where he finished second this year in his first-career attempt at the race.
Tadej Pogacar Shoots Down Doping Talk Even As New Armstrong Comparisons Arise
What adds to the concerns is Pogacar’s team association. He rides for UAE Team Emirates, which is sponsored by the Gulf state and was formed in 2018 by Swiss CEO Mauro Gianetti. Gianetti, himself a former pro, was involved in doping scandals both as a rider and as a sports director of the Saunier Duval team from 2004-2011.
But Pogacar is quick to shoot down any talk of his involvement with doping.
“Cycling is a sport where, in the past, people did everything to enhance their body’s performance without knowing what it meant for their health,” he said. “They risked their lives, riders of the past – and some we may not even know – struggle with health problems or mental problems because of what they did to themselves. This sport suffered tremendously from those years. There is no confidence, and we can do nothing about it.
“We practice our sport and hope that people will believe us again. You need a winner, and today, they are still often portrayed as cheaters. Maybe in a few generations, people will forget the past, with Armstrong and all those men who did what they did. Then we can move on because cycling is one of the healthiest sports. After all, we know how dangerous this sport can be for health. You must stay healthy; if you want to risk your health, that’s a waste of your life. That’s stupid; you should never risk that. Jealous and suspicious people will always be there; I can’t change that.”
Ultimately, unless Pogacar tests positive, he will remain on the high ground. But even there, it’s hard to imagine imagine the doping allegations will stop anytime soon in a sport mired with scandals dating back several decades.