The triple crown

[scribers]

I read recently in Wikipedia, which is the unassailable bastion of truth (not really), a reference to the triple crown of cycling as being TdF, worlds road race, and the giro.

Fact or fiction? Old world conclusion with a different emphasis today?

 

[rallybanana]

The only time I ever heard of it was in 1987 when Stephen Roche won all three. I guess winning the 3 most prestigious jerseys in cycling (pink, yellow, and rainbow) in the same year is very rare and needed a catchy name to big up his achievement.

I think the Remco triple crown; winning grand tour, monument, and worlds in the same year is also pretty neat.

 

[hrotha]

"The triple crown" is not actually a thing, journos can combine any three major races they fancy to embellish a story

 

[ManicJack]

I thought it was Thrift Drug, K-Mart Classic and Core States.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Triple Crown = Tour of Hainan, Giro Stage win and Lomardia

 

[RedheadDane]

Triple Crown = Tour of Hainan, Giro Stage win and Lomardia

Wonder if anyone will ever achieve that!

(I'd say it's more of a triple strawhat anyway...)

 

[rallybanana]

Wonder if anyone will ever achieve that!

Hainan and Lombardia take place on the same day so very unlikely without teleportation

 

[CyclistAbi]

Well. We'll see if Pogi is up to it in the 2024 season. Or if it's just fiction.

 

[Pantani_lives]

If the triple crown means winning Giro, Tour and WC in the same year, two riders have done it:

• Merckx in 1974
• Roche in 1987.

If it means winning the three GTs within twelve months, three riders have done it:

• Merckx even won four in a row: Giro and Tour in 1972, followed by Vuelta and Giro in 1973.
• Hinault won Giro and Tour in 1982, followed by Vuelta in 1983.
• Froome won Tour and Vuelta in 2017, followed by Giro in 2018.

If it means winning Giro, Tour and À travers Lausanne in the same year, only two riders have done it:

• Merckx in 1970 and 1972
• Pantani in 1998.

 

[GenericBoonenFan]

The question of a Triple crown is an interesting one. For me it would have to be one of the following:

A GT that is not the Vuelta (sorry spaniards) + A monument that is not MSR (sorry, but what's the point of the first 290kms) + a WC

I dislike my own opinion however, because it gives the impression that one can only be one of the greatest cyclists if you're a climber. I think we overvalue GTs.
Yeah Froome won a couple, but in my eyes guys like Cancellara, Boonen and Sagan are far greater riders. But because he has those GTs on his palmares most people will always rank him above the three I mentioned here. Cancellara, Boonen and Sagan both mastered multiple aspects of cycling. Wether it was sprinting, cobbling, timetrials or hillier classics. Froome, apart from his one Olympic TT medal, was very much a one-trick-pony.

 

[Panda Claws]

I think a Triple Crown defined as 3 'big wins' in a season is already rare enough (or at least it used to be).
Big Win = GT, monument, WCRR or OGRR

1927 – Alfredo Binda
1949 – Fausto Coppi (4x)
1961 – Rik Van Looy
1969 – Eddy Merckx (4x)
1970 – Eddy Merckx
1971 – Eddy Merckx (5x)
1972 – Eddy Merckx (5x)
1973 – Eddy Merckx (4x)
1974 – Eddy Merckx
1975 – Eddy Merckx
1980 – Bernard Hinault
1987 – Stephen Roche
2005 – Tom Boonen
2021 – Tadej Pogacar
2022 – Remco Evenepoel
2023 – Mathieu Van der Poel

Only 10 riders have ever done it. Nobody but Merckx has done it more than once.
Naturally Merckx has done it seven times. In a row.

 

[scribers]

I feel like the giro has lost some of its luster since historical considerations. I’d place Flanders above it

 

[Froome]

Triple Crown = Tour of Hainan, Giro Stage win and Lomardia

Triple crown= classica de sanRemco, Giro dell'roglic and Tour of Hainan.

 

[houtdffan]

I feel like the giro has lost some of its luster since historical considerations. I’d place Flanders above it

huh? Flanders above a grand tour?

 

[Pantani_lives]

huh? Flanders above a grand tour?

Flanders is a grand tour: the grand Tour of Flanders.