Pogacar on top of the world after sealing cycling triple crown

Zurich: Tadej Pogacar added the world road race title to his Tour de France and Giro d Italia victories on Sunday to become the first man since 1987 t...

Zurich: Tadej Pogacar added the world road race title to his Tour de France and Giro d'Italia victories on Sunday to become the first man since 1987 to win cycling's triple crown in the same season.

The 26-year-old Slovenian won the 273km race around Zurich in a time of 6hr 27min 30sec, with Australia's Ben O'Connor at 34sec and Dutch one-day specialist Mathieu van der Poel in third at 58sec.

Pogacar wrote himself into the history books with an unorthodox long-range attack, rarely seen at this level, to join Ireland's Stephen Roche from 1987 and Belgian Eddy Merckx from 1974 as a men's triple crown champion.

Annemiek van Vleuten achieved the women's triple in 2022.

After his victory, Pogacar reflected on the death on Friday of 18-year-old Swiss cyclist Muriel Furrer, who had fallen when competing in the junior road race.