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Bradley Wiggins: The Grand Tour Triple

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  • March 25, 2013 at 1:46 am #18308
    Leviathan

    So the rumour is that there is a chance BW will also do the Vuelta (big final send off perhaps?)

    http://velonews.competitor.com/2013/03/news/bradley-wiggins-hints-he-might-add-vuelta-a-espana-to-his-2013-program_278801

    Now this raises some unique challenges for Brad. Firstly a quick check in Wikipedia says that only 9 men have ever won two Grand tours in one year. It is already a stretch to think that might be possible this year, however there are some other minor accomplishments that can be achieved.

    Only 32 men have ever completed all three tours in one year and Raphael Geminiani (1955) holds the honour of the lowest finish positions ‘points total’ with 13: 4th Giro, 6th Tour, 3rd Vuelta. Could Wiggins finish all three and get anywhere near this low score? The Giro and a couple laps of honour perhaps?

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  • March 26, 2013 at 7:23 pm #724229
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    Leviathan

    Froome will probably not do
    Froome will probably not do the Giro, but the Tour/Vuelta like last year. The Wiggins-Froome 1-2 punch for the Giro Tour double seems to be building up, we just need to see what Wiggins form is like now. Wiggins v Nibali, Froome v Contador (intercut to Star Wars duel music!)

    March 26, 2013 at 7:10 pm #724227
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    Philiprints

    Good knowledge- really don’t
    Good knowledge- really don’t think wiggo has the climbing ability when it starts to vary in steepness to get anywhere near the Vuelta unlike Mr Froome(!) who seems to have a great all round set of skills. Even though he’s not won a grand tour at all it feels to me like he’d be the one who could win two.
    But the giro- if Sky take their strongest squad- Kirienka(spelling?) Uran and Porte, Froome and Wiggins which is a ridiculously good set of riders and they ride for wiggins it’d be difficult for anyone else to compete.
    I think- the only chink in Bradleys armour is steep hills and puncheur style attacks from a few riders working together- eg- Nibbles Contador (and Froome!)

    Counting down the days….

    March 26, 2013 at 11:22 am #724225
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    chrisdstripes

    Philiprints wrote:Geek as I

    Philiprints wrote:
    Geek as I am I’ve created a venn diagram of who has won more than one grand tour (only 5 greats have ever won all of them) and blessedly Lance is nowhere to be seen:

    http://philiprints.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/blog-post.html

    Geminiani is a great feat- but there must be other domestiques who have completed all three god knows how you’d be ble to find out though…


    Very nice! Surprised Indurain never won the Vuelta, I only really followed the Tour in those days. Did he just not tend to ride it?

    As for Wiggo, can’t see him riding all three this year, BUT if he did – I reckon podium Giro, top 10 TdF riding for Froome, and then maybe he could haul himself to a top 15 finish in the Vuelta, followed by a Redgrave-esque “if you ever see me get on a bike again…” quote in Madrid.
    Didn’t Adam Hansen complete all three last year? And I believe Sandy Casar has said he’s doing it this year, and aiming to win a stage of each tour…

    March 26, 2013 at 9:45 am #724223
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    Philiprints

    Geek as I am I’ve created a
    Geek as I am I’ve created a venn diagram of who has won more than one grand tour (only 5 greats have ever won all of them) and blessedly Lance is nowhere to be seen:

    http://philiprints.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/blog-post.html

    Geminiani is a great feat- but there must be other domestiques who have completed all three god knows how you’d be ble to find out though…

    March 25, 2013 at 10:51 pm #724221
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    Leviathan

    Sadly Biggins wrote:if any

    Sadly Biggins wrote:
    if any rider did get high finishes in all three tours, many people would be highly suspicious that he had “prepared” well.

    So anyone now doing too well in one season cannot be believed; thanks Lance, there is your legacy. So the only way that someone could ever complete a triple now is if all his main rivals collided with each other and fell into a ditch simultaneously. Unlikely unless you are Sebastian Vettel.

    March 25, 2013 at 2:38 pm #724219
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    Sadly Biggins

    I think that getting suitably
    I think that getting suitably high finishes in all three tours would be very difficult to achieve, just in terms of the physical demands of riding and the limited recovery between each tour. On a side note, if any rider did get high finishes in all three tours, many people would be highly suspicious that he had “prepared” well.

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