🔥 GLOBAL CYCLING SHOCKWAVE: POGAČAR DEMANDS UCI ERASE BJARNE RIIS’ TOUR TITLE AFTER 12 BOMBSHELL WORDS LIVE – CONTADOR & ARMSTRONG DRAGGED INTO THE FIRESTORM
In an interview that sent shockwaves across the global cycling community, Tadej Pogačar lit a fuse that may redefine the sport’s relationship with its tainted past. With just 12 words, spoken during a live post-stage interview, the Slovenian star ignited one of the most heated debates the Tour de France has seen since the days of Lance Armstrong. The fallout came fast and furious—media frenzy, legends weighing in, and fans locked in polarizing arguments that stretch far beyond just one name.
The moment came after Stage 18 of the 2025 Tour de France. Visibly emotional but composed, Pogačar was asked about legacy and how modern cycling should remember its past champions. He paused, then dropped the now-infamous line: “We must erase what was built on lies and dirty blood.” The statement, raw and direct, was instantly interpreted as a veiled attack on the 1996 Tour de France champion, Bjarne Riis, whose title has long been mired in controversy after he admitted to doping during that period.
But Pogačar didn’t stop there. Just hours after the interview aired, his team confirmed that he had formally submitted a petition to the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), calling for the official annulment of Bjarne Riis’ Tour de France victory. Citing “irreparable damage to the sport and its credibility,” the document, signed by Pogačar and several unnamed co-signatories, urged cycling’s governing body to “take a definitive stand against a glorified past rooted in deception.”
The response was immediate—and volatile.
Alberto Contador, who himself faced suspension in 2010 for clenbuterol, took to X (formerly Twitter), writing: “Rewriting history is a dangerous game. Let the present shine without burying the past.” Meanwhile, Lance Armstrong, no stranger to public battles over legacy, fired back on his podcast: “If we erase Riis, do we erase everyone? Does cycling just pretend 15 years didn’t exist?”
The UCI has yet to issue a formal statement, but sources close to the organization say the petition is being reviewed by its Ethics and Historical Integrity Committee. If accepted, the move could set a precedent with massive implications—not only for Riis, but for multiple generations of riders, including Jan Ullrich, Richard Virenque, and even Armstrong himself.
Social media platforms have erupted. Hashtags like #JusticeForCleanCycling and #LeaveThePastAlone are trending across Europe. Pogačar’s own Instagram account has become a battleground of sorts, with thousands of comments either praising him as a hero of clean sport or denouncing him for waging war on legends.
Sports historians are divided. While some see this as a bold, necessary reckoning with a dark past, others worry that reopening old wounds may destabilize the fragile trust modern fans have in the sport. “Cycling has long lived in the shadow of its own scandals,” said French analyst Marc Dupuis. “But burning the past to purify the present? That’s a dangerous fire.”
For now, Pogačar remains unapologetic. In a follow-up story with L’Équipe, he said: “If we don’t clean our house, how can we expect fans to believe in us?”
Regardless of where one stands, one thing is certain: cycling is once again at a crossroads. And this time, it’s not a scandal unearthed by journalists or investigators—it’s a civil war ignited from within, by one of the sport’s brightest stars.
