In bicycle racing a Grand Tour refers to one of the three major European cycling races:

• Tour de France - Tour of France
• Giro d'Italia - Tour of Italy
• Vuelta a España - Tour of Spain

Collectively they are termed the Grand Tours.

Each team in the UCI¹ Pro Tour must race in all three, though they may change riders between the events.

The three Grand Tours are similar in format. All are multi-week races with daily stages. The stages are a mix of long pack-races, hill climbs, descents, and sprints, as well as individual and team time trials and noncompetitive exhibition and rest days.

No cyclist has ever won all three Grand Tour events in the same year.

Only three cyclists have won stages in all three of the Grand Tours in the same year:

• Miguel Poblet ; Spain; (1956)
• Pierino Baffi ; Italy; (1958)
• Alessandro Petacchi; Italy; (2003)

Only four cyclists have won all three of the Grand Tours during their career:

• 8 - Jacques Anquetil; France; 5 Tours (1957, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964), 2 Giros (1960, 1964), 1 Vuelta (1963).
• 5 - Felice Gimondi; Italy; 1 Tour (1965), 3 Giros (1967, 1969, 1976), 1 Vuelta (1968)
• 11 - Eddy Merckx; Belgium; 5 Tours (1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1974), 5 Giros (1968, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1974), 1 Vuelta (1973)
• 10 - Bernard Hinault; France; 5 Tours (1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1985), 3 Giros (1980, 1982, 1985), 2 Vueltas (1978, 1983)

Notes

1. Union Cycliste Internationale; the International Cycling Union

See also

• Triple Crown of Cycling