Triple Crown of Cycling

The Triple Crown of Cycling in road bicycle racing denotes the achievement of winning three major titles in the same season, usually the Giro d'Italia general classification, the Tour de France general classification and the UCI Road World Championships Road Race.^[1]

It is considered by many fans of the sport to be the greatest 'single' achievement in cycling. Although mostly it means winning the Giro, the Tour and the Road World Championships in one calendar year,^[2] occasionally a broader definition is also seen where the victory in the Giro d'Italia can be exchanged for the Vuelta a España; this alternative has gained traction as the Vuelta, historically the least prestigious Grand Tour, has gained in reputation and importance.^[3] A hat-trick which did not include the Tour de France and the World title would not generally be considered as the Triple Crown.

So far, the triple crown of cycling (in both the narrower and the broader definition) has been achieved by only two men, Eddy Merckx and Stephen Roche. Annemiek van Vleuten has achieved the equivalent in women’s races. Requiring a cyclist who is excellent as both a general classification rider, and a classics racer, it is considered the hardest achievement in professional road bicycle racing in the same year.^[4]

Despite the prestige of the achievement, the Triple Crown of cycling is not an official title, and there is no physical award given for its accomplishment.