THE GIRO VUELTA DOUBLE
With all the talk of Nairo Quintana going for the Giro-Tour double, and Froome’s continuing difficulty in carrying enough of his Tour de France-winning form into the Vuelta to win it, the oft-overlooked Giro-Vuelta double may be a more likely chance for stage racers. Physically, it shouldn’t be problem, as the peaking process should be easier, but it attracts less attention because anyone capable of winning these two races will also be a possible Tour winner, and it makes commercial sense to go for the Tour.
However, we’ve looked at this combination in history to find out which riders have, over the course of their careers, taken wins in the Italian and Spanish Grand Tours. Unsurprisingly, Eddy Merckx leads the way, with five Giro wins and a Vuelta win. And of the nine riders to have won both races, six have also won the Tour, with the exceptions being Rominger, Menchov and, so far, Quintana. In the past the Vuelta was a less prestigious race that happened in spring, so fewer big riders targeted it. But with its current status and slot towards the end of the season, it is attracting more exciting GC contenders.