Can Tadej Pogačar pull off cycling’s Triple Crown?
Slovenian set to race Giro d'Italia, Tour de France, and the world championships in 2024
Tadej Pogačar is set to compete in the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France, as well as the Paris Olympics and the 2024 world championships. Is it possible he could become only the third rider to accomplish cycling’s Triple Crown? In 1987, Irishman Stephen Roche won the Giro, the Tour and the road worlds—13 years after the great Eddy Merckx did the same. The worlds he won that year, were in Montreal, too.
He will race a small handful of Spring Classics in preparation, but will not defend his Tour of Flanders title.
“I am now not so young anymore and I think I can do two Grand Tours,” Pogačar said to GCN from the UAE Team Emirates team camp on Monday. “I could probably do it before but now is a nice time to do a new challenge in my career.”
The last rider to win both the Giro and the Tour was the late Marco Pantani, back in 1998.
“I think everybody wants to do the double and it is one of the hardest things to achieve,” the Slovenian said. “I think the main goal from all the GC riders that have already won some Grand Tours, is to have all three of them. This is something to have in your palmarès, so let’s see how it goes with the Giro and how it goes with the Tour. Let’s not think about the double, let’s just go to enjoy racing.”
Trip to Canada confirmed
As part of his worlds build-up, Pogačar confirmed he will race the two stops on the WorldTour that take place here–Grands Prix Cyclistes de Québec et Montréal. The 2024 road worlds are in Zurich. He will also compete at the Paris Olympics, but isn’t sure how that will go. “The OIympics are a bit so-so, but of course World Championships is one of the main goals for next year,” he said. The Zurch course is hillier, and definitely one that favours the UAE-Emirates rider.
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As far as another punchy course that also suits him, the Tour of Flanders, Pog has opted not to defend his title in 2024, instead focusing on the Grand Tours. He will also skip Amstel Gold Race and Flèche Wallonne, but he will compete at Liège-Bastogne-Liège.
