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Oleg Tinkov throws down €1,000,000 Grand Tour challenge to world’s top riders

Russian entrepreneur wants to see Contador, Froome, Nibali & Quintana race Tour, Giro & Vuelta in 2015

Russian entrepreneur Oleg Tinfov has thrown down a million-euro challenge to four of the world’s top Grand Tour riders in an attempt to get them to go head to head in the Giro d’Italia, Tour de France and Vuelta a Espana next season.

The owner of the Tinkoff-Saxo team threw down the gauntlet to his own outfit’s star rider Alberto Contador, as well as Astana’s Vincenzo Nibali, Sky’s Chris Froome and Nairo Quintana of Movistar, in an interview published in Italian daily, La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Between them, the quartet have won six of the past seven editions of those races – the exception being Chris Horner’s Vuelta victory last year.

The Italian newspaper says that the €1million prize could either be divided equally between the four should they participate in all of the three-week races, or it could go to the rider who placed best across the trio of Grand Tours.

Contador and Nibali have already said that they are attracted by the idea of going for the Giro-Tour double next season – not achieved since Marco Pantani won both races in 1998 – and with a long time trial in the Italian race next May, it could also appeal to Froome.

Tinkov, who made his fortune in financial services with his Tinkoff Credit Systems business, took to Twitter – where admittedly he has a bit of a reputation as a wind-up merchant – to call on Contador’s rivals to take part.

The idea was embraced by Garmin-Sharp boss Jonathan Vaughters, who replied to Tinkov on Twitter.

Here's our favourite response:

 

 

Few riders – let alone overall contenders – attempt all three Grand Tours in a season.

The most notable exception currently is Lotto-Belisol’s Australian rider, Adam Hansen, who last month completed his ninth Grand Tour in a row at the Vuelta.

When he won the Tour de France in July, Nibali joined Contador as the only two current riders to have won all three Grand Tours, a feat only four other men have achieved.

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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11 comments

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J90 | 9 years ago
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The Giro is much harder than it used to be, riders used to use it as training for Le Tour, one rider won't win both these days.

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Stumps | 9 years ago
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Its not really fair on those 4 teams with other GT contenders.

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Him Up North | 9 years ago
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The 2014 Vuelta was Adam Hansen's TENTH grand tour in a row starting with the 2011 Vuelta  3

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mrchrispy | 9 years ago
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supprised it wasnt "Wiggo to missout on $1million prize"
 103

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Chuck | 9 years ago
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Love the BBC's headline take on it: 'Froome offered $1 million challenge'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/

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leqin replied to Chuck | 9 years ago
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Chuck wrote:

Love the BBC's headline take on it: 'Froome offered $1 million challenge'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/

oh no... suppose that means another Twitter slanging match between Cath and Michelle  14

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Aapje | 9 years ago
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1. Offer a prize for something that is completely unrealistic
2. Get free advertising in the press
3. Laugh at the gullibility of the press

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step-hent replied to Aapje | 9 years ago
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Aapje wrote:

1. Offer a prize for something that is completely unrealistic
2. Get free advertising in the press
3. Laugh at the gullibility of the press

Yes,, it's undoubtedly a good publicity stunt by Tinkov. But it might not be as unrealistic as we think. Imagine you're already gunning for the Giro-Tour double next year. Having completed both, let's say someone is offering you €1m to do the third. That's a lot of money, even to someone at the very top of the sport - possibly even enough to make you turn up and spin round it for three weeks with no intention of really competing/winning... I agree it's not likely, but it's not completely bonkers.

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Aapje replied to step-hent | 9 years ago
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step-hent wrote:

Yes, it's undoubtedly a good publicity stunt by Tinkov. But it might not be as unrealistic as we think. Imagine you're already gunning for the Giro-Tour double next year. Having completed both, let's say someone is offering you €1m to do the third. That's a lot of money, even to someone at the very top of the sport - possibly even enough to make you turn up and spin round it for three weeks with no intention of really competing/winning... I agree it's not likely, but it's not completely bonkers.

But he only gives the money if all four big contenders do all three GT's. That is completely realistic due to injuries even if all four riders intend to do it.

If he had said 3 out of 4 it would at least have been remotely possible, but as it is...not in a hundred years.

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kitkat | 9 years ago
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Well we all remember the last time a rider was on an accumulator for winning blue ribbon events...

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IngloriousLou replied to kitkat | 9 years ago
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kitkat wrote:

Well we all remember the last time a rider was on an accumulator for winning blue ribbon events...

For those that don't:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/armstrong-bought-million-dollar-triple-c...

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