23 Days of Italia - Day 8

In the 50's, 60's, and 70's the great riders would race many of the big races (with the object of winning) in a season and multiple Grand Tours. Prior to that the French riders almost never travelled to the Giro and the Italians didn't bother with the Tour. More recently riders have increasingly specialized and GC riders have tended to focus on one big race a year, so despite their hundred plus year histories only seven riders have ever managed the Giro-Tour double. Fausto Coppi was the first in 1950; the latest Marco Pantani in 1998. Oleg Tinkov has offered up a million dollars in an effort to have more of the big names take part in both of the two biggest Grand Tours. Alberto Contador is the only serious contender for 2015. His aspirations took a bit of a knock with a finish line crash on stage 6, but it doesn't seem to have affected him much so far.

The actual bike used by Marco Pantani to win the 1998 Giro

Fausto Coppi - 1950, 1952
Jacques Anquetil - 1964
Eddy Merckx - - 1970, 1972, 1974
Bernard Hinault - 1982, 1985
Steven Roche - 1987
Miguel Indurain - 1992, 1993
Marco Pantani - 1998