Grand Tour (cycling)

Tour De France - Tour of France

Giro D'Italia - Tour of Italy

Vuelta A España - Tour of Spain

Collectively they are termed the ''Grand Tours'', and all three are similar in format. All are multi-week races with daily stages. The stages are a mix of long massed start races (sometimes including mountain and hill Climbs and descents; others are flat stages favouring those with a Sprint finish), as well as Individual and Team Time Trials and non-competitive exhibition and rest days.

The prizes include the individual in the 1969 Tour de France and Laurent Jalabert in the 1995 Vuelta a España.

No cyclist has ever won all three Grand Tour events in the same year. Only four cyclists have won all three of the Grand Tours during their career:

Jacques Anquetil ; France ; 5 Tours ( 1957 , 1961 , 1962 , 1963 , 1964 ), 2 Giros ( 1960 , 1964 ), 1 Vuelta ( 1963 ).

Felice Gimondi ; Italy ; 1 Tour ( 1965 ), 3 Giros ( 1967 , 1969 , 1976 ), 1 Vuelta ( 1968 )

Eddy Merckx ; Belgium ; 5 Tours ( 1969 , 1970 , 1971 , 1972 , 1974 ), 5 Giros ( 1968 , 1970 , 1972 , 1973 , 1974 ), 1 Vuelta ( 1973 )

Bernard Hinault ; France ; 5 Tours ( 1978 , 1979 , 1981 , 1982 , 1985 ), 3 Giros ( 1980 , 1982 , 1985 ), 2 Vueltas ( 1978 , 1983 )

Only three cyclists have won stages in all three of the Grand Tours in the same year:

Miguel Poblet ; Spain ; ( 1956 )

Pierino Baffi ; Italy ; ( 1958 )

Alessandro Petacchi ; Italy ; ( 2003 )

Each team in the Union Cycliste Internationale (''International Cycling Union'') ProTour must race in all three, though they may change riders between the events.

PALMARèS

SEE ALSO

Triple Crown Of Cycling

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Grand Tour (cycling)