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The last time someone won the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France in the same year was 1998, the year cycling phenom Tadej Pogacar was born.
Now 25 years old, the Slovenian superstar already is a two-time Tour de France champion (2020 and 2021), but a win in 2024 would land him among the sport’s most elite competitors.
If Pogacar takes the coveted yellow jersey at the Tour de France 2024, which will take place June 29-July 21, he’ll become the first rider in his lifetime to complete the elusive Giro-TDF double, while becoming the ninth person to win the Tour de France at least three times.
Italy’s Marco Pantani was the last rider to win the double, a feat accomplished 11 times by seven riders – Fausto Coppi (Italy), Jacques Anquetil (France), Eddy Merckx (Belgium), Bernard Hinault (France), Stephen Roche (Ireland), Miguel Indurain (Spain) and Pantani.
Great Britain’s Chris Froome was the last rider to join the three-win club at the Tour de France, winning in 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017.
Though Froome won’t be in Europe this year looking to become the event’s fifth five-time winner, two-time defending champion Jonas Vingegaard will be back from injury and focused on becoming the sixth person to win three in a row.
It has been less than a month since Pogacar won the Giro d’Italia.
His victory May 26 came by a margin of nearly 10 minutes over Daniel Martinez – the largest margin of victory in almost 60 years – and included six daily wins across the 21 stages.
There’s little to no argument that Pogacar is a generational talent based on his growing list of successes since bursting onto the scene with UAE Team Emirates in 2019. He has been able to excel across all types of terrain and in any race format – one-day, time trials, multi-stage, etc.
All that aside, there still will be questions about the quick turnaround from the Giro to the Tour de France, something that has helped make the double so elusive in recent years.
Will Pogacar be rested and ready when the Tour de France 2024 kicks off in Florence, Italy, on June 29?
Will the fact that Vingegaard hasn’t raced since suffering multiple serious injuries in a fall in March work in Pogacar’s favor?
Or, will a combination of Pogacar’s hectic schedule and Vingegaard’s lack of action make way for another of the event’s many stars?
Though he has been doing some altitude training, Pogacar has not done any formal racing since hoisting the trophy in his Giro d’Italia debut.
Simply running out of gas during the three-week Tour de France has been the downfall for previous attempts at the double, and an earlier start to the TDF due to the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris certainly could play a role in 2024.
However, not only is there talk of Pogacar finding success in France, it also has been put into the universe that no one in history has won all three Grand Tours in the same year – Giro d’Italia, Tour de France and La Vuelta a España.
Obviously, a lot has to happen for that to be possible, and it would be another quick turnaround, as La Vuelta is set to begin Aug. 17.
Should it become relevant, Pogacar is familiar with the event, where he made his Grand Tour debut in 2019, winning three stages and finishing third overall, but he hasn’t been back since.
Typically, the Grand Tour triple crown is something that takes a career to accomplish, and it only has been done by seven riders. Could Pogacar pull it off in the same season – while still in his mid-20s?
In order for Pogacar to make history as the first rider since 1998 to win the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France in the same year, he must achieve the insane feat of a third career Tour de France title, which officially has been done just eight times.
The list of riders with three or more Tour de France wins includes: Jacques Anquetil (five), Eddy Merckx (five), Bernard Hinault (five), Miguel Indurain (five), Chris Froome (four), Philippe Thys (three), Louison Bobet (three) and Greg LeMond (three). Including Pogacar, 14 other riders have won twice.
The Tour de France first was held in 1903, and 2024 will mark the 111th edition of the race.
Along with the earlier start date, the upcoming Olympics also will impact the finish of the race, which traditionally concludes along the Champs-Elysees in Paris with a 21st stage that ends up being more of an informal celebration than a race for the title.
This year, however, there very much is the chance for a final-day shakeup for the yellow jersey.
The question is, will Pogacar be able to remain focused, composed and energized in order to become the first three-time champion since Froome claimed the third of his four titles in 2017?
Oh, please don’t forget – after winning in his first two appearances at the Tour de France in 2020 and 2021, Pogacar was the runner-up to Vingegaard in 2022 and 2023.
Let that sink in – in four appearances at arguably the world’s most prestigious race, Pogacar has never finished below second place, while winning 11 stages overall.
He also won the polka dot jersey (King of the Mountains) in 2020 and 2021 and white jersey (Best Young Rider) in all four appearances.
