Pogacar completes ‘Triple Crown’ with first world title

Slovenia’s Tadej Pogacar produced a stunning solo ride in Switzerland to claim his first world road race title – and become only the third man to win cycling’s ‘Triple Crown’ of the men’s Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and world title in the same year.

The 26-year-old caught his rivals napping with 100km of the 273.9km route in Zurich remaining, leaving Belgium’s Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel and reigning world champion Mathieu van der Poel, of the Netherlands, behind in the peloton.

Pogacar quickly bridged a gap to a breakaway group before hitting the front on his own with 50km to go and maintained his advantage in the closing kilometres, leaving the field to fight for the minor medals.

“I put a lot of pressure on myself for today,” said the three-time Tour de France winner. “I had pressure for myself and for the team. We came here for the victory.

“After a perfect season it was really a big goal to win a world championship and I just can’t believe it happened.”

The success meant Pogacar became the first man to win the ‘Triple Crown’ since Ireland’s Stephen Roche in 1987, while Belgian great Eddy Merckx was the first to do it in 1974. In 2022, Annemiek van Vleuten of the Netherlands became the only woman to achieve the landmark.

Pogacar finished in six hours, 27 minutes and 30 seconds – 34 seconds clear of Australia’s Ben O’Connor, who broke off the front of the chasing pack to claim silver.

His victory replicated superb solo rides in the spring’s one-day races, when the Slovenian attacked from 30km out to win the Liege-Bastogne-Liege and from 80km to claim the Strade Bianche.

Van der Poel finished 58 seconds back in third after winning a sprint finish for bronze, pipping fourth-placed Latvian Toms Skujins, while world time-trial champion Evenepoel was fifth and Swiss rider Marc Hirschi sixth.

Scotland’s Oscar Onley, 21, was the first Briton home in a creditable 16th place.