Stephen Roche and the chase for cycling's elusive 'triple crown'

The 2023 season debuts this week. Glasgow will host the UCI's first "mega worlds" road championships from August 3-13. The "triple crown" of cycling is victory in the Giro d'Italia, Tour de France and road worlds.

Stephen Roche and Eddy Merckx are the only two cyclists to have achieved cycling's most elusive milestone. Roche has watched with interest over the decades to see if anyone could come close. He believes that things have to come together at the right time for someone to achieve it.

Only two cyclists have won the Giro d’Italia, Tour de France and world championship in the same season. Annemiek van Vleuten equaled the mark in 2022 in women”s racing. The road worlds were moved to mid-October and now late September. It is too late for someone to rebuild form for the worlds in late October. A summertime worlds is the most realistic for a run at the treble. In 2023 Anniemieck vanVleut will be the only member of the Van Vliet club. She won GIRO Rosa, the inaugural Tour of France Femmes and the road title in Wollongong.

Stephen Roche is chasing cycling's elusive 'triple crown' in the Tour de France. Merckx won the Giro and Tour in 1974, but never won another grand tour. Van Vleuten became the first woman to do an official triple in 2022. In 1987 Roche had a superb spring and came into the GIRO with flying form, and he had to race for himself to win the race. In 1989 and 2022, women's cycling has only been able to attempt an 'official triple' three times. It was not possible in 1988, 1989 or 2022 but Catherine Marsal did it in 1990.

Stephen Roche thinks the big stars can't do the Giro-Tour double anymore. He would like to see more old-school tactics in cycling. Pogačar is an example of someone who could pull it off. Remco is attacking from far away. He could easily win the worlds.

Stephen Roche is the only English-speaking rider to have won the Tour and the triple. He is looking forward to the next edition of the "mega worlds" in August. Neither Pogačar nor Jonas Vingegaard are racing the Giro. Remco Evenepoel is targeting the Grand Tour.