Only seven riders in the history of professional cycling have achieved the remarkable feat of winning all three Grand Tours: the Giro d'Italia, the Tour de France, and the Vuelta a España. Here's a look at the statistics and stories behind cycling's most prestigious stage races.
The Seven Champions of the Triple Crown
Cyclist | Giro | Tour | Vuelta |
Jacques Anquetil | 2 | 5 | 1 |
Felice Gimondi | 3 | 1 | 1 |
Eddy Merckx | 5 | 5 | 1 |
Barnard Hinault | 3 | 5 | 2 |
Alberto Contador | 2 | 2 | 3 |
Vincenzo Nibali | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Chris Froome | 1 | 4 | 2 |
The first cyclist to complete the career Grand Tour triple was Jacques Anquetil, who secured his Vuelta title in 1963.
By then, he had already claimed one Giro d'Italia and four Tour de France victories, and he would go on to win another Giro and Tour before retiring.
The most recent addition to this elite group is Chris Froome.
A dominant force on the roads of the Tour de France, Froome also has two Vuelta titles and one Giro victory to his name.
His win at the Italian race remains one of the most stunning and unexpected triumphs in the event's history, highlighted by a legendary solo attack on the stage to Bardonecchia. Starting 80km from the finish, he managed to overturn a deficit of over three minutes on race favourite Tom Dumoulin to seize the lead.
Italian riders have also left their mark, with Felice Gimondi (three Giro, one Tour, one Vuelta) and Vincenzo Nibali joining the club.
Nibali was the first Italian to wear the yellow jersey in Paris since Marco Pantani, and his palmarès includes one Vuelta a Espana and two Giro d'Italia titles.
His second Giro victory is particularly memorable for its dramatic comeback. Trailing with just a few stages remaining, he launched a decisive attack on the stage to Risoul and captured the leader's jersey on the grueling Sant'Anna di Vinadio stage, riding into Turin in pink the following day.
Other records and statistics
Alberto Contador holds a unique record: he never finished on a Grand Tour podium in a position other than first place. He and Bernard Hinault are also the only two cyclists to have won all three Grand Tours at least twice.
Conversely, Herman Van Springel and Joaquim Rodríguez are the only riders to have finished on the podium of all three Grand Tours without ever winning one.
Italy's Claudio Chiappucci holds the record for the most podium finishes without a victory, securing three top-three spots at both the Giro and the Tour but never reaching the top step.
Only two cyclists have won the mountains classification in all three Grand Tours: Spain's Federico Bahamontes and Colombia's Luis "Lucho" Herrera:
Cyclist | Giro | Tour | Vuelta | Total |
Federico Bahamontes | 1 | 6 | 2 | 9 |
Luis Herrera | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
Bahamontes shares the record for the most King of the Mountains titles in Grand Tours (9) with Gino Bartali. Bartali's impressive tally includes seven titles at the Giro d'Italia and two at the Tour de France.
Stage Winners in the three Grand Tours
When it comes to individual stage victories across the three races, Eddy Merckx stands alone at the top with an incredible 65 wins. He is followed by sprinter Mario Cipollini with 57, and Mark Cavendish, who currently has 55.
