Tadej Pogačar won a final award and was on the front page of L’Équipe for a final time in 2025 on Monday, with the influential French sports newspaper crowning him the ‘Champion des Champions Monde’ along with Canadian swimming revelation Summer McIntosh.
Pogačar is only the second cyclist to win the award after Greg LeMond in 1989. He has now won the Tour de France four times and so much else, sparking a debate that we perhaps saw ‘peak Pogačar’ in 2025. However, he told L’Équipe he is still motivated to do even better.
“There’s always room for improvement, to see how I can be even better, how far I can go,” Pogačar said.
Pogačar joined names like Michael Jordan, Usain Bolt, Roger Federer, Lionel Messi, Serena Williams, Simone Biles and Novak Djokovic on the roll of honour of the Champion des Champions Monde award. The award is decided by L’Équipe journalists via a vote. Pogačar beat pole vaulter Armand Duplantis and tennis player Carlos Alcaraz to this year’s award.
Summer McIntosh won women’s Champion des Champions award Monde after winning three gold medals at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games and four world titles in 2025. She is already one of the greats of women’s swimming, like Pogačar in men’s cycling.
In the Champion des Champions France award, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot took home a fourth title after her Tour de France Femmes victory this summer, whilst paracyclist Alexandre Léauté also won for a third time.
“Honestly, I wouldn’t have put myself on that list. I can’t place myself that high,” Pogačar admitted when L’Équipe gave him his latest trophy.
One of the secrets of Pogačar’s success is his humility and ability to stay grounded. He is dominating professional cycling like few others before him but still loves riding his bike.
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