Chris Froome’s victory at the Giro d’Italia has made him only the third man to hold the titles of all three of cycling’s Grand Tours simultaneously.
Cycling superstars Eddy Merckx and Bernard Hinault are the only other riders to complete the feat. Here is how the trio measure up:
Eddy Merckx
Considered the greatest competitive cyclist of all time, the Belgian, nicknamed ‘The Cannibal’, won an unequalled 11 Grand Tour titles – five each in France and Italy, and one in Spain. Merckx won his fourth Tour de France title in 1972 before becoming the first man to win both the Vuelta and the Giro in the same calendar year in 1973 – opting out of defending his Tour de France title in that same year.
Bernard Hinault
Frenchman Hinault won 10 Grand Tours – five in France, three in Italy, and two in Spain. He won his second Giro title in 1982, which he followed with his fourth Tour de France crown two months later. The following year, he won seven individual stages of the Vuelta to ease to the overall title and hold all three at the same time, although a knee injury prevented him going again in the Tour de France.
Chris Froome
With victory in Rome, Froome wrapped up his sixth Grand Tour title, and in the process became only the seventh cyclist to win all three of the major races. Froome won his first Vuelta title last year, adding to his four Tour de France crowns. While he will be favourite to also win the upcoming Tour de France once more, becoming the first man to win all three in the same calendar year is surely out of the question.
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