The prestigious sports newspaper L'Equipe has chosen Slovenian cyclist Tadej Pogačar and Canadian swimmer Summer McIntosh as the world's best athletes for 2025, or "Champion des Champions Monde".
Four-time Tour de France winner Pogačar is only the second cyclist after Greg LeMond (1989) to win this award. The 27-year-old confirmed that he remains motivated to become even better.
"There is always room for improvement – to see how I can be even better, how far I can go," said Pogačar. "So keeping motivated is not that difficult, especially when you know that I have a long contract with the team and many years ahead. And when the results are good, motivation comes by itself. It's harder when you don't win much, or at all."
The award is decided by a vote of L’Équipe’s journalists. This year, Pogačar finished ahead of pole vaulter Armand Duplantis and tennis player Carlos Alcaraz. Pogačar joined names such as Michael Jordan, Usain Bolt, Roger Federer, Lionel Messi, Serena Williams, Simone Biles, and Novak Djokovic on the list of the world's best athletes.
"Honestly, I wouldn't have put myself on this list. I don't know how to place myself that high," Pogačar admitted. "I see some very cool names there. Champions... It is a great honor, and I am very happy to be part of this list."
In the women's category, the title of world's best athlete went to Summer McIntosh, who won three golds at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games and four world championship titles in 2025.
Tadej Pogačar finished ahead of Armand Duplantis and Carlos Alcaraz in the vote for the world's best athlete.
