Depending on who you ask, the route to cycling’s Triple Crown can follow a few different paths. Strict traditionalists define it as winning the Giro, Tour and World Championships in the same year, while many others have expanded that definition to include any combo of three wins between the Worlds and Grand Tours. But no matter which races you use to classify a Triple Crown, all agree that claiming this never-before-earned title is almost impossible. Instead, more realistic riders often set their sights on the exceedingly difficult, yet attainable, task of taking home two Grand Tour wins in a single season, typically targeting the opening Giro and closing Vuelta at the centre of their ambitions.
But as with everything else this year, a compressed schedule and overlapping Grand Tours has required riders to rethink the season. For the first time, the Vuelta will start before the end of the Giro in Italy, dashing hopes of a double-tour title. Luckily, though, the excitement and drama of Spain’s premiere cycling race remain. As the youngest of the three GTs, La Vuelta Ciclista a España first set out from Madrid in May of 1935, three decades later than the neighbouring races. Over the years, the beauty of cycling in Spain, as well as the challenges posed by the looming Pyrenees mountains, have made the Vuelta an apt Grand Tour finale and one of the most highly anticipated races of the year.
For 2020, the Vuelta is foregoing its usual September start date, instead setting off for the first time in October from just outside San Sebastian along Spain’s mountainous north. But maybe the biggest change to this year’s race is its shortened schedule, reduced from twenty-one stages to eighteen and demanding cyclists and teams re-strategize their planned paths to victory. And while it remains to be seen the specific effects these changes will have on individual riders as the race unfolds in the coming weeks, there promises to be plenty of excitement along the way. Join us for the drama as the Vuelta begins to draw one of the most memorable Grand Tour seasons ever draws to a sensational close.
Cycling is a sport led by tradition, and though the bikes, individuals and colourful jerseys always change, the ceremony remains, and few cycling customs are held as sacred as this: of the three Grand Tours, the Giro d’Italia comes first.
Typically held in May when riders test their fresh legs over Italy’s famous peaks in a fight to finish in the Maglia Rosa. And while for the 103rd edition the Giro will retain much of its history and tradition, it will follow an exciting Tour de France, which finished in Paris just a few short weeks ago.
The change of schedule promises not only to shake things up as temperatures dip to near-freezing on the high climbs, this year leading up to Cima Coppi along the famed switchbacks of Passo Stelvio. It has also reshaped the field, with several prominent riders challenging La Corsa Rosa for the first time in their careers as the condensed cycling season opens up opportunities to new riders.
Yet no matter the month or whether the Giro comes first, second or last in the Grand Tour line-up, one thing is certain: with thousands of kilometres from the start in Sicily to the top of the final podium in Milan, including unpredictable conditions and the unforgiving gradients of both the Alps and Dolomites, an odyssey of thrill and drama awaits the riders of Italy’s boldest bike race that is sure to carry the Giro tradition forward in 2020.
When started fizik back in 1996 making saddles for the most discerning road cyclists was our goal. But like all road cyclists, once we achieved something, we wanted to go further. So we started to collaborate directly with the pros to refine our saddles and other products to compete at the highest level. Finally, in 2019, we reached a new measure of success.
It was a historic season of firsts that started when Richard Carapaz claimed Stage 14 of the Giro with a brilliant solo attack to secure that he would become the first Ecuadorian to finish in the pink jersey, as he did so with the Infinito R1 Movistar Team shoes and Antares 00 saddle we designed along with him.
Then, as Egan Bernal clinically dissected the world’s most coveted race to become the first Colombian to top the Champs-Élysées podium, as well as the first Latin American champion, he did so on an Antares R1 saddle.
And finally, when Primož Roglič withstood repeated attacks in the mountains to ultimately defend his lead at the Vuelta, he did so on the Antares 00 saddle, making him the first Slovenian Grand Tour champion. These athletes had one thing in common, they all rode fizik.
Just as winners aren’t built overnight, they aren’t built alone. For a rider, winning a Grand Tour is the product of courage, strategy and talent, but also years of incremental research, meticulous refinements and persistent hard work. What is true for riders can be said for the brands who dare to enter the professional arena along with them. Here, success is measured in winning, and fizik has been on top of more podiums in 2019 than any other product manufacturer.
This most recent triple crown win is the latest chapter in a long and steady story of innovation leading to success. Producing top-tier equipment means an enormous investment in people, manufacturing and technology, but that is only the starting point. It takes a brand that understands long-term cooperation and persistent commitment to be able to consistently compete at the World Tour level. Rider feedback is part of what drives our innovation, and reaching the finish is always a team effort.
As the point of contact between world-class athlete and machine, fizik products must perform at a world-class level. If the relationship between rider and machine is crucial, then the collaboration between rider and designer is its equal. It’s a responsibility we take seriously, and one which continues to result in victories we take great pride in celebrating.
To celebrate a season of unforgettable firsts, we have created a limited edition 2019 fizik Grand Tour poster, available now at fizik.com.
As the Tour Down Under opens the 2019 WorldTour calendar, here’s our guide to the year’s main racing highlights to look forward to. Many of our teams’ riders are also targeting different races to get their seasons underway, so here’s where to watch them first: SEASON OPENERS 15 – 20 January: Tour Down Under THE ITALIAN SPRING CLASSICS 9 March: Strade Bianche THE COBBLED CLASSICS 2 March: Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Elite THE ARDENNE CLASSICS 21 April: Amstel Gold THE GRAND TOURS 11 May – 2 June: Giro d’Italia UCI WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 22 September: Team Time Trial Mixed Relay THE ITALIAN AUTUMN CLASSICS 9 October: Milano-Torino
27 January: Vuelta a San Juan
6 – 10 February: Vuelta Valencia
12 – 17 February: Tour of Colombia
22 – 24 February: Tour du Haut Var
24 February-02 March: UAE Tour
13 – 19 March: Tirreno-Adriatico
23 March: Milano-Sanremo
27 March: Driedaagse Brugge-De Panne
29 March: E3 BinckBank Classic
31 March: Gent-Wevelgem
3 April: Dwars door Vlaanderen – A travers la Flandre
7 April: Tour of Flanders
14 April: Paris-Roubaix
24 April: Fleche Wallone
28 April: Liege-Bastogne-Liege
6 – 28 July: Tour de France
26 August – 15 September: Vuelta a España
24 September: Women Elite Individual Time Trial
25 September: Men Elite Individual Time Trial
28 September: Women Elite Road Race
29 September: Men Elite Road Race
12 October: Il Lombardia 
