REVIEW: Contador becomes 10th rider to win five Grand Tours

CYCLING - Alberto Contador won the Vuelta a España on Sunday, winning his fifth Grand Tours. He also was victorious in the Vuelta in 2008, the Tour de France in 2007 and 2009 and the Giro d’Italia in 2008. The Spaniard became the 10th rider to win at least five Grand Tours.

• Contador is still under 30 years of age, becoming the fifth rider to win his fifth Grand Tours under 30.
• He is one of five riders having won all three Grand Tours.
• The Spaniard is the 10th rider to win the Vuelta at least twice.
• The podium became all Spanish, after Joaquim Rodriguez finished second and Alejandro Valverde took the third place. The last time three Spanish riders took the whole podium was in 2004 (Roberto Heras, Santi Pérez and Francisco Mancebo).
• Simon Clarke became the second Australian to win the mountain classification in a Grand Tour after Matthew Lloyd won it in the 2010 Giro.
• Adam Hansen finished all three Grand Tours this year, becoming the only rider to achieve this feat. Last year, Sebastian Lang was the only rider to complete all three Grand Tours. Hansen is the second Australian to do this after Neil Stephens in 1992.

 

Winning most Grand Tours

11 - Eddy Merckx (5x Tour - 5x Giro - 1x Vuelta)

10 - Bernard Hinault (5x Tour - 3x Giro - 2x Vuelta)

8 - Jacques Anquetil (5x Tour - 2x Giro - 1x Vuelta)

7 - Lance Armstrong (7x Tour)

7 - Miguel Induráin (5x Tour - 2x Giro)

7 - Fausto Coppi (2x Tour - 5x Giro)

5 - Gino Bartali (2x Tour - 3x Giro)

5 - Alfredo Binda (5x Giro)

5 - Felice Gimondi (1x Tour - 3x Giro - 1x Vuelta

5 - Alberto Contador (2x Tour - 1x Giro - 2x Vuelta)