Slovenian cyclist Tadej Pogačar has been named "Champion des Champions Monde", the most prestigious award given by the French newspaper L'Équipe. He becomes the first cyclist to win the award since Greg LeMond in 1989, in a year where Pogačar cemented himself as one of the greatest cyclists of all time, winning Tour de France a fourth time, three Monuments (Tour of Flanders, Giro di Lombardia and Liege-Bastogne-Liege) and the UCI Road World Championships in Kigali.
Pogačar was chosen ahead of Swedish pole vaulter Armand Duplantis, who surpassed his own World record several more times this year, and Spanish tennis player Carlos Alcaraz, second and third in the ranking.
"Honestly, I wouldn't have put myself on that list. I can't place myself that high", said Pogačar, who joins a list of 'Champions des Champions' that include the likes of Usain Bolt, Rafa Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Michael Shucmacher or Leo Messi.
Pogačar was named alongside Summer McIntosh, the Canadian swimmer who won four gold medals at the 2025 World Swimming Championships. They succeed the gymnast Simone Biles and the swimmer Léon Marchand as recipients from the award by L'Équipe.
