Grand Tour great Felice Gimondi backs Chris Froome to achieve Giro-Tour double
Italian Tour, Giro and Vuelta winner Felice Gimondi rates Chris Froome's chances of joining the six other riders who have won all three Grand Tours
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- Sign up to our newsletter Newsletter

Tour de France, Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España winner Felice Gimondi has added his weight behind Chris Froome's bid to win all three Grand Tours.
Italian Gimondi won the Tour in 1965, Giro in 1967, 1969 and 1976, and the Vuelta in 1968, joining an elite club of riders who have achieved the 'triple crown'.
The 75-year-old says that Froome is perfectly placed to join this club when he attempts the Giro in 2018 and establish himself as "one of the greatest riders ever".
"Froome can do it," said Gimondi.
"It's difficult to outdistance him on the climbs, because he's properly skilled and supported by a strong team.
"He can also perform well in the TT stages, without losing too much from specialists like Dumoulin.
"Anyway, the battle will include other riders, starting from Aru, who won't give up before having played all his cards".
>>> Comment: If anyone can win the Giro d’Italia/Tour de France double, it’s Chris Froome
Froome is aiming to do something that Gimondi did not achieve in his career: winning more than one Grand Tour in the same year.
Gimondi attempted the Giro-Tour double in 1967, but his plans came unstuck when he fell ill in France.
"I thought I could get it at the Tour: I was in a brilliant shape, but some intestinal problems knocked me out," said Gimondi of his 1967 Tour.
"We were on riding on the Pyrenees, I was looking for water since 30 kilometers: I took a bottle of cold water from the service van of the Tour and I drank it in one shot."
Aside from Gimondi, only five other riders have claimed victory in all three Grand Tours: Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, Alberto Contador and Vincenzo Nibali. No rider has ever won all three races in the same year.
Merckx tops the table of Grand Tour winners, having claimed 11 in his unrivalled career.
Gimondi has remained actively involved in the cycling world since retiring, and designed the routes for the Gran Fondo Gimondi Bianchi on May 8 in Bergamo, Italy.
Thank you for reading 10 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Nigel Wynn worked as associate editor on CyclingWeekly.com, he worked almost single-handedly on the Cycling Weekly website in its early days. His passion for cycling, his writing and his creativity, as well as his hard work and dedication, were the original driving force behind the website’s success. Without him, CyclingWeekly.com would certainly not exist on the size and scale that it enjoys today. Nigel sadly passed away, following a brave battle with a cancer-related illness, in 2018. He was a highly valued colleague, and more importantly, n exceptional person to work with - his presence is sorely missed.
-
-
Adrie van der Poel reveals banter exchanged with Mathieu before CX World Championships
Van der Poel senior says that his sons cyclo-cross season has been ‘perfect’ preparation for a strong start to the cobbled classics
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
'They come to my country and kill kids': UCI's decision to allow Russian riders at World Championships draws passionate reaction
There has been a mixed response to the UCI's decision to allow Russian and Belarusian riders the opportunity to return to the international stage.
By Chris Marshall-Bell • Published
-
Chris Froome highlights dangers of long Covid after battle with virus
Four-time Tour de France champion warns of cardiovascular impact and says his VO2 max took a hit after illness
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
Chris Froome labels WorldTour relegation a ‘death sentence for many teams’
Four-time Tour de France winner says UCI points system needs overhaul as Israel-PremierTech face relegation from the WorldTour
By Tom Thewlis • Last updated
-
Chris Froome still holds out hope for fifth Tour de France win
Israel-Premier Tech rider says the dream is "always there"
By Tom Davidson • Published
-
Chris Froome out of Tour de France after positive Covid-19 test result
Four-time winner and third on Alpe d’Huez stage forced to abandon on stage 18
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
'I’m going to keep pushing. I don’t know what my limits are': Chris Froome climbs to best result since 2018
Israel-Premier Tech rider finished third on stage 12 of the Tour de France to Alpe d'Huez
By Adam Becket • Published
-
La Planche des Belles Filles: will today's Tour de France climb be make or break?
Primož Roglič may be looking to salvage his Tour de France by exorcising his 2020 demons on the brutal climb
By Tom Thewlis • Last updated
-
'I'm trying to get back to my old self again' — Chris Froome achieves his best result since 2019 horror crash
Chris Froome finished 11th at the Mercan Tour Classic Alpes-Maritimes on Tuesday, his best result for almost three years
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Chris Froome: Being competitive at Tour de France would be a 'dream scenario'
The Israel-Premier Tech rider on being back at his normal level, appreciating his past, and aiming to have form late into the season
By Adam Becket • Published