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Three Grand Tour in one year -- is it possible?
- Thread starter rxgqgxnyfz
- Start date
rxgqgxnyfz said:
I think for Contador it is. He wasn't at 100% this year but still won the TDF. I'd think he could win the Giro at 90%, Tour at 95-100% and Vuelta at 85%.
If he did pull it off, it would be unbelievable. Would probably need an entire year's rest afterwards though.
Never happened before, can't see it happening now. However, if anyone can do it it's Contador:
1) He can win GT's without being at his very best. He can even win the Tour without being 100%(ref this year). This means he doesn't have to reach his absolute peak three times in a year in order to win three GT's.
2) He has won two in the same year before. Although winning three is a huge leap, this gives him some experience.
3) Being on the same team as Cancellara he can gain time if there is a TTT. Those will be crucial seconds if he is only 97% in the mountains.
But then again, three GT's means more than 10 000 kms where you need no serious crashes, no illness, no badly timed punctures ect...
1) He can win GT's without being at his very best. He can even win the Tour without being 100%(ref this year). This means he doesn't have to reach his absolute peak three times in a year in order to win three GT's.
2) He has won two in the same year before. Although winning three is a huge leap, this gives him some experience.
3) Being on the same team as Cancellara he can gain time if there is a TTT. Those will be crucial seconds if he is only 97% in the mountains.
But then again, three GT's means more than 10 000 kms where you need no serious crashes, no illness, no badly timed punctures ect...
Well, he did win two. He'll need the team to be deep so they can give him great support in all three races. They'll also have to be strong Team Time Trialists. He'll have to cut back on early season races and start later in the season. He'd have to be able to win the Giro while at less than a hundred percent fitness. His fitness base would have to be really solid, so he'd need to be dedicated in the off-season. He'd need to drop the nonsense with Andy Schleck. He'd have to have someone on the staff doing serious course recon for him so that he knows when time can be gained, and doesn't waste a lot of energy on attacks that don't gain anything. I think he'd have to be conservative and calculating, so none of the individual performances might not be too exciting other than the historical aspects.
I think on this one, it would be more fun to have him prove me wrong, so I'll say he can race three in one year and win two of them. It might not be any year soon. I think riding the Vuelta this year would be a great start.
I think on this one, it would be more fun to have him prove me wrong, so I'll say he can race three in one year and win two of them. It might not be any year soon. I think riding the Vuelta this year would be a great start.
craig1985 said:
Exactly. And for me it depends on the routes of each GT. A giro with lots of ITT kms and the typical hard mountian stages would suit him. A Tour with a long TTT to get benefit from Cancellara and Larsson (better if there is also an ITT climbing up in the Alps or Pyrinees). A Vuelta with no such big names and a bit of everything...
The problem is that these 3 things have to happen the same year, and that it is hard not to think that illness, accidents, mechanicals etc... will happen during 63 hard days. Lots of luck are needed.
I'm not sure he could handle it, psychologically. When Sastre did it he took the Giro easy, so even if he still had it in his legs his head didn't suffer it the same way. It would be exciting if he tried, though, as that should make him more vulnerable.
yes, if anyone could do it, berto is the one but...
(i) as the swordsman said, he'll need a deeper team
(ii) he'll need all three par-courses to include enough mt finishes
(iii) he'll have to be simply lucky
I also don't exclude that the vuelta may try to move to a later date by few days to just accommodate their national hero.
the rest is careful planning and riding into form.
(i) as the swordsman said, he'll need a deeper team
(ii) he'll need all three par-courses to include enough mt finishes
(iii) he'll have to be simply lucky
I also don't exclude that the vuelta may try to move to a later date by few days to just accommodate their national hero.
the rest is careful planning and riding into form.
Possible for a team like Saxobank, but not for a single rider of the team - even not Contador. Riding all 3 is possible, but winning the triple not.
AC will ride the Giro and Tour, and will probably win them.
Vuelta could be something for Porte, if he continues with his processing.
AC will ride the Giro and Tour, and will probably win them.
Vuelta could be something for Porte, if he continues with his processing.
well.. i have serious doubts. the time when a cyclist was able to won classics, sprints and GTs is over. if eddy merckx was alive today, he would have to chose between being able to try to win some classics and a GT, or 2 GT etc. today it is impossible to win all the season long and all kinds of races. that time is over. in the new days, you have to be "specialized" if you wanna have hopes of win something.
that's another reason for a lot of people to say that contador is the best ever in stage races(even armstrong realizes that). better than merckx, armstrong, pantani, hinault, etc.
if contador try to race (for the win) the 3GT, he can't race anything else during the year. but he is the only one that can do that.
today's cycling is very diferent, much more tougher, with much more competition. they drag each other, they use a lot of strategies etc. a cyclist like merckx (evans for example) will only be able to win a "small" race here, a podium there, etc. but win something really big more than 5 times in a career?no.
it isn't impossible for contador. but it is almost impossible to happen.
isn't it stupid to talk about the best cyclist ever nowadays??merckx or hinault would never been able to win a couble classic against boonen, cancelara or musseuw. merckx or hinault would never been able to win a TT against cancellara etc. merckx and hinault would never been able to win a mountain stage against pantani contador etc. not to talk about sprints (cavendish petachi cipollini etc) or another classics (bettini rebellin boogerd valverde freire zabel etc)
that's another reason for a lot of people to say that contador is the best ever in stage races(even armstrong realizes that). better than merckx, armstrong, pantani, hinault, etc.
if contador try to race (for the win) the 3GT, he can't race anything else during the year. but he is the only one that can do that.
today's cycling is very diferent, much more tougher, with much more competition. they drag each other, they use a lot of strategies etc. a cyclist like merckx (evans for example) will only be able to win a "small" race here, a podium there, etc. but win something really big more than 5 times in a career?no.
it isn't impossible for contador. but it is almost impossible to happen.
isn't it stupid to talk about the best cyclist ever nowadays??merckx or hinault would never been able to win a couble classic against boonen, cancelara or musseuw. merckx or hinault would never been able to win a TT against cancellara etc. merckx and hinault would never been able to win a mountain stage against pantani contador etc. not to talk about sprints (cavendish petachi cipollini etc) or another classics (bettini rebellin boogerd valverde freire zabel etc)
c&cfan said:
Did I miss some news? Eddy is well and truly alive. Perhaps you meant, "if Eddy Merckx was still racing today"..
No, I don't think it's possible for anyone to win all three tours in a single year. Three in a row, absolutely (Vuelta, Giro, Tour), but as someone else said that'd be over 10000k with absolutely no issues, no sickness, nasty crashes, etc.
c&cfan said:
Does this mean that Vino is a medium now too?
Oh and one of the guys on this picture didn't had to choose between winning classics and 2 GTs this year.
________
100% Free Streaming Xxx Home Vidos
Contador seems to be the only person close to being able to manage it but will he have the team help? Sure he's going to have most of ther same people that helped him at the Tour but how many tough days can these riders be expected to perform on.
If anyone is bored of talking about AC winning 3 GT's in a year and think it is completely absurd, come watch some ping pong with me!
http://www.fromsport.com/v-0/2/78/v-27806.html
http://www.fromsport.com/v-0/2/78/v-27806.html
andy will play with you..
in one year, the guy won paris nice and other races. then he goes to the beach. then, without preparation and in no shape, he wins the giro. after that, the vuelta. yeah i believe that it isn't totally impossible for him.
in one year, the guy won paris nice and other races. then he goes to the beach. then, without preparation and in no shape, he wins the giro. after that, the vuelta. yeah i believe that it isn't totally impossible for him.
Well, if he can win the Giro/Tour double why not try the Vuelta as well?
No harm done if he wasn't able to win that one after winning the Giro/Tour...
No harm done if he wasn't able to win that one after winning the Giro/Tour...
auscyclefan94 said:If anyone is bored of talking about AC winning 3 GT's in a year and think it is completely absurd, come watch some ping pong with me!
http://www.fromsport.com/v-0/2/78/v-27806.html
liar,thats table tennis
no offense to Sastre but he is not AC. Not that I think any riders want to invest that much efforts in one year. I think the statement was just PR babble and that in the end SBS will be entering the 3 tours but not necessarily with Contador in each onehrotha said:
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