The Most Elusive Cycling Achievement: Winning All Three Grand Tours

The concept of a 'Grand Slam' in cycling, often referred to as a Grand Slam, is an incredible feat that few cyclists can claim to have achieved. Winning all three Grand Tours - the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia, and Vuelta a Espa?a - is a testament to a cyclist's unmatched endurance, strategy, and determination.

Understanding the Grand Slam

Technically, winning all three Grand Tours cannot be accomplished in the same calendar year. This is partly because the phrase 'triple crown' is usually reserved in cycling for a calendar year Tour-Giro/Vuelta-World Championship. However, three cyclists have come close, winning all three Grand Tours in succession across two seasons and within a 365-day period, holding all titles simultaneously:

A Profile of the Champions

Of all cyclists who have completed the cycle of winning all three Grand Tours, only seven riders have done so:

Eddy Merckx

Grand Tour Wins: 5 in Tour de France, 5 in Giro d'Italia, 1 in Vuelta d'Espa?a

Eddy Merckx holds the record for winning all three Grand Tours a total of five times each for the Tour de France and Giro d'Italia, and once for the Vuelta d'Espa?a. What makes Merckx’s achievement even more remarkable is that he also holds the record for the most successive Grand Tour wins with four consecutive Grand Tours under his belt.

Bernard Hinault

Grand Tour Wins: 5 in Tour de France, 3 in Giro d'Italia, 2 in Vuelta d'Espa?a

Bernard Hinault has also achieved the Grand Slam, securing five Tour de France titles, three Giro d'Italia titles, and two Vuelta d'Espa?a titles. Hinault is a testament to consistency and has come closest to matching Merckx's grand total of wins over the years.

Chris Froome

Grand Tour Wins: 4 in Tour de France, 1 in Giro d'Italia, 2 in Vuelta d'Espa?a

While Chris Froome only once managed the Grand Slam (winning the Tour de France and the Vuelta a Espa?a in the same year, but not the Giro d'Italia), he finished a close second in the 2018 Tour de France. Froome is also the only rider to have won the Vuelta a Espa?a immediately after winning the Tour de France, since the Vuelta became the late summer-autumn Grand Tour.

Other Cyclists Achieving the Grand Slam

Other cyclists who have won all three Grand Tours at some point in their career are:

Notably, Eddy Merckx is the only cyclist to have achieved the feat of winning four successive Grand Tours. In contrast, Alberto Contador won the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia, and Vuelta a Espa?a at different points in his career.

Can the List Expand?

Looking ahead, the field of cyclists is wide open. Primoz Roglic and Tadej Pogacar, both of whom have shown exceptional form and success in multiple Grand Tours, are poised to potentially join the elite list of cyclists who have won the Grand Slam at some point in their careers. The future of cycling is promising, and the possibility of more cyclists achieving this achievement remains a thrilling prospect.

Key takeaways from the history of the Grand Tours are the athletes who have proven to be the best in the world over the course of three demanding tours against the most talented and fit competitors. The Grand Slam is an enduring mark of cycling greatness and remains one of the sport's most cherished goals.