Pogacar, Vingegaard and the fastest Tour in history

In 1993, Miguel Indurain was unbeatable. His time trial performances and his ability to climb the toughest climbs of the Tour de France while clinging to his handlebars made him a supernatural being. But what was then unheard of is now obsolete. The data confirms this. After the first 17 stages of that Tour, the greatest legend of Spanish cycling had been riding at an average speed of 37.14 km/h. Thirty years later, that figure has increased by almost six kilometers per hour, to 42.95 km/h. In terms of athletic performance, it's an abyss.

In this Tour, you don't race, you fly. Most team directors never tire of repeating that phrase. And they're right. Never before have riders ridden so fast for so long. This is an absolute record, surpassing even the already high averages of recent editions. The comparison with the last decade is equally telling. In 2016, the speed was 39.72 km/h. In 2021, it rose to 41.54. In 2022, the 42 km/h barrier was reached for the first time. And in 2025, any previous limit has been shattered.

I've never experienced what's happening, the speed at which things are going, the demands of each day, there's no quiet moment." Gorka Gerrikagoitia Director of Cofidis

A few days ago, the Hautacam record, held by Bjarne Riis, trembled, but three days later, the Mont Ventoux record holder did bend the knee. Not only to Jonas Vingegaard, the fastest, but also to Tadej Pogacar, Primoz Roglic, and Florian Lipowitz. Technological advances, power training, personalized nutrition, optimized recovery, ultralight materials, more aggressive strategies, better paved roads—there are many reasons. But there is one factor that makes the difference: Tadej Pogacar.

The Slovenian cyclist isn't just leading the overall standings with authority. He's redefining the way we compete. His influence isn't measured solely in victories, but in how he compels others to race. His mere presence accelerates the race. His unexpected attacks, his consistency in the high mountains, his dominance in the time trial...

In the past, cyclists had to have experience to learn, now we change the word experience to information. Joxean Fernández Matxin Director of the UAE

“In the past, cyclists needed experience to learn. Now we've replaced the word experience with information,” Joxean Fernández Matxin, director of the UAE, explains to this outlet. “Everyone has that information to know the wattage of their rivals and the time they're gaining, and by having more information, they don't have to rely on experience. That's why everyone is more premature in terms of performance than before,” he explains.

Every time Pogacar accelerates, the entire peloton is forced to react. Even if he doesn't win the stage, his constant aggression dynamites any attempt at control. He races as if every kilometer counts. And at his side, UAE Emirates has assembled a team that responds with surgical precision. "The superiority they're demonstrating and the reluctance of the peloton, knowing that if you reach the final climb it's impossible to beat them, means we're racing differently and trying to get ahead, because otherwise we see that he's a nearly unbeatable rider," explains Gorka Gerrikagoitia, director of Cofidis. "They're riding faster than ever in the first hours of the race until the breakaways form. You can see that this new generation is a step ahead. We talk about equipment and nutrition, but the differences are huge between the best cyclists in the world and the rest," he concludes.

The Tour is the best, everyone wants to win and be at the front.” José Joaquín Rojas, Sports Director of Movistar

And he adds that "I've never experienced what's happening, the speed at which we're riding, the demands of each day, there's no quiet moment. I think the unwritten rules that existed are being broken in this Tour. There isn't the respect that there was before," criticizes Gorka Gerrikagoitia, director of Cofidis.

For José Joaquín Rojas, MoviStar's sports director, the few high-mountain stages also have an impact. "The Tour is the ultimate; everyone wants to win and be at the front. Everything is so competitive that you have to make the most of every stage. For teams like ours, opportunities are getting fewer and fewer, so the fight is getting tougher."

This Tour has erased transition days. Active rest stages no longer exist. Any day can be broken. Any profile becomes decisive. Demand has become the norm. And average speed isn't just a technical statistic: it's the reflection of a profound transformation. And at the center of it all is a rider who smiles while changing history. Tadej Pogacar isn't just winning a Tour: he's redefining how it's won.