ROCHE: IT IS JUST TOO HARD TO DO 3
Steph writes off treble GANO IS THE BIG PANTHER
FORMER Tour de France and Giro d’Italia winner Stephen Roche insists it’d be “impossible” for Chris Froome to win all three Grand Tour races in a year.
Froome completed the France and La Vuelta double in Madrid on Sunday but Roche, who lifted the Tour and Giro in 1987, does not believe any rider could win all three in the same 12 months due to the importance placed on the main event.
Six men have claimed all three Grand Tour crowns during their careers – Jacques Anquetil, Alberto Contador, Felice Gimondi, Bernard Hinault, Eddy Merckx and Vincenzo Nibali – but nobody has won them all in the same year.
Roche said: “It’s humanly impossible especially in today’s day and age because the Tour de France now is so important, the top guys all hit form for that event.
“To go out and win the Giro is very hard because of the weather conditions back in May, going to the Tour de France on the back of winning the Giro is always complicated.”
Roche paid tribute to Team Sky rider Froome who was able to refocus on winning the Vuelta after his fourth Tour victory, joining GRAHAM GANO helped Carolina Panthers get off to a flier in the NFL as they downed San Francisco 49ers 23-3 away from home.
Gano, born in Arbroath, kicked three field goals as the Panthers gave up the fewest points ever in their season opener. Frenchmen Anquetil (1963) and Hinault (1978) in doubling up in the same year.
The Irishman said: “Chris was well prepared for the Tour and the Vuelta this year. It’s a difficult feat, that’s why he’s only the third guy in history to do the double.
“You always need luck but you always need a lot of stamina and a lot of hard work too.”