The first Vuelta-Tour double (Jacques Anquetil, 1963)

Anquetil tried to win the Spanish Grand Tour previous year already, but he had to give up the race with only a few stages left. There were rumors about Anquetil quitting the race due to frustration because he couldn't dominate against his teammate Rudy Altig on the final time trial (15th stage).

But next year was different. Anquetil dominated the race from the beginning. He claimed the leader jersey in stage 1/b, a 52 km long time trial. He and his team had only one job: to defend his leading position till the end.

They didn't fail and Anquetil won the race.

Five weeks later winning Tour de France was a bit more difficult. But Anquetil surprised his rivals with a stunning performance in the mountains as he won the stage between Pau and Bagnères-de-Bigorre in the Pyrenees. But the yellow jersey was still on other riders ( Eddy Pauwels, Seamus Elliott, and Gilbert Desmel, respectively). After the 16th stage (Grenoble-Val d'Isere) Federico Bahamontes jumped up into the leading position.

Then came the next tough day in the Alps (Stage 17 between Val d'Isere and Chamonix), and Rafael Geminiani, the boss of the team partly named after him (Saint-Raphaël-Gitane-R. Geminiani), came up with the idea, that Anquetil should change the bike on the road up to the Col de la Forclaz. Nevertheless, bike change for tactical reasons wasn't allowed those days, so they faked a mechanical issue with snipping through a gear cable, claiming that it had snapped.

Anquetil won the stage and also took the yellow and has kept it until Paris.

Fun fact: because the Tour was competed by national teams in the previous decades (even during the Giro-Tour doubles of Fausto Coppi), Jacques Anquetil's double victory was the very first time, when a professional team could win two Grand Tours within a season.

Fausto Coppi and the Vuelta a España

Unlike the other two grand tours with a history started before the first world war, the first Vuelta a Espana was held in 1935. It was a spring race until the 1990s, right before (or sometimes almost at the same time as) the Giro d’Italia. Also, for almost two decades, it was really unpredictable, when … Read more

Gustaaf Deloor, the winner of the first Vuelta a Espana with his brother, Alfons Deloor

Vuelta winners: Gustaaf Deloor

Vuelta Ciclista a España (or just La Vuelta), the third three-week race of the road cycling season is also the youngest grand tour. The first edition was held in 1935. The race started on 29th April, included 14 stages and finished on the 15th of May. Only 50 cyclists entered the event and 29 finished. … Read more

Delio Rodriguez, winner of Vuelta a Espana 1945

5 facts about Vuelta a Espana 1945

For the first time in the history of Vuelta a Espana, the colour of the leader jersey was red. The 5th edition of Vuelta a Espana was organized by the newspaper Ya. From the 52 participants, 8 cyclists came from Portugal, all the others were Spaniards. Point classification, sponsored by Pirelly, was itroduced to the … Read more

most stage victories and other fun facts at the Vuelta a Espana on Peloton&Tales

When Delio Rodríguez won 12 of the 21 stages of Vuelta a España

Vuelta a Espana was not organized for several years after the first two editions in 1935 and 1936. The Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) made it impossible. Thus the 3rd edition of the youngest grand tour was held between 12 June and 6 July in 1941. Middle in the Second World War (quick reminder: Operation Barbarossa, … Read more

Marco Pantani is climbing Passo del Mortirolo alongside with Miguel Indurain at Giro d'Italia 1994

Every time Passo del Mortirolo was part of Giro d’Italia

Passo del Mortirolo, usually a mid-stage ascent, was introduced to Giro d’Italia in 1990. The first rider on the top was the Venezuelan Leonardo Sierra. There is a monument to Marco Pantani at 8 km from the top (from the side of Mazzo di Valtellina).Also, there is a special prize for the rider first atop, … Read more

Belgian cycling superstar Eddy Merckx leading an attack while wearing the pink jersey during Giro d'Italia 1973

Cyclists led the Giro d’Italia general classification from start to finish

There are only four riders who led the general classification of Giro d’Italia thtough the entire race. Although the number of days they spent in leadeship differs due to the different stucture of the race though the years. Costante Girardengo 1919 (10 stages) During the first edition of Giro d’Italia after World War I Girardengo … Read more

Record breaking vicrory of Mario Cipollini 42 stage victories at the Giro d'Italia

The most Giro d’Italia stage victories

Mario Cipollini won the most Giro d’Italia stages He became the sole record holder on the 9th stage of Giro d’ Italia in 2003See the list of the top 25 riders:Mario Cipollini 42Alfredo Binda 41Learco Guerra 31Costante Girardengo 30Eddy Merckx 25Giuseppe Saronni 24Francesco Moser 23Roger De Vlaeminck 22Alessandro Petacchi 22Fausto Coppi 22Franco Bitossi 20Miguel Poblet … Read more

Mark Cavendish celebrating his last Giro d'Italia victory in 2023

The youngest and the oldest Giro d’Italia stage winners

Olimpio Bizzi is the younges stage winner ever with19 years and 229 days.He won the 8th stage at Giro d’Italia 1936.Mark Cavendish was38 years and 7 daysold, when he crossed the finish line first in the last stage of Giro d’Italia 2023.