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Aug 2015
11:03pm, 28 Aug 2015
20,797 posts
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SPR
Unfortunately, I didn't follow through with that in my fantasy selection. I blame Inrng who had Froome as the favourite 
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Aug 2015
7:19am, 29 Aug 2015
416 posts
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Cheg
Two people have done the vuelta, tour double. So I'm not sure many people are suited to it.
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Aug 2015
8:44am, 29 Aug 2015
20,799 posts
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SPR
Cheg - Not necessarily as the question is two out of how many? My initial thoughts were I can't imagine many deciding to do the Vuelta after winning the Tour.
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Aug 2015
9:04am, 29 Aug 2015
419 posts
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Cheg
People haven't tried because it's too damn difficult. Contador prime example of the difficulty of back to back tours. Regardless of your cycling style or body type.
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Aug 2015
9:04am, 29 Aug 2015
420 posts
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Cheg
People haven't tried because it's too damn difficult. Contador prime example of the difficulty of back to back tours. Regardless of your cycling style or body type.
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Aug 2015
9:37am, 29 Aug 2015
20,800 posts
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SPR
Giro/ Tour double is not the same as the Tour/ Vuelta double.
While it may be difficult, I doubt that's the reason people wouldn't try. If you'd won the Tour, and really were interested in the double, you can't really lose by doing the Vuelta, on the contrary I think people just didn't care to try it. Obviously, team plans may affect what riders can do as well, there may be other GT riders in the team to keep happy.
The Giro/ Tour double is different as the most important race is second so you need your best form at the end (which is obviously going to be difficult), rather than at the beginning with the Tour/ Vuelta double.
It's not about body type, but if you hit your absolute peak, which for a GT rider will mean as light as possible while maintaining power, you are going to struggle to maintain that for 10 weeks (some struggle to maintain it for 3!). You can go for a lower more sustainable peak but obviously that leaves you vulnerable to those peaking for one race, and you'll still struggle to keep the same form in the second race.
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Aug 2015
9:55am, 29 Aug 2015
1,582 posts
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MudMeanderer
It's also worth recalling that all previous Vuelta/Tour double winners did so with the Vuelta in its earlier position. The Vuelta used to be an early season race, falling before the Giro, so giving more time between the Vuelta and Tour to recover and re-peak.
I'm pretty sure I've seen stats that suggest in its current calendar position no one has managed the Tour/Vuelta double - correct me if I'm wrong.
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Aug 2015
10:31am, 29 Aug 2015
20,801 posts
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SPR
Didn't realise that the Vuelta only moved in 1995, actually makes the old Vuelta/ Giro double very impressive.
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Aug 2015
10:32am, 29 Aug 2015
20,802 posts
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SPR
What is surprising is that Contador is the only person that has done the modern Giro/ Vuelta double.
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Aug 2015
12:41pm, 29 Aug 2015
20,804 posts
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SPR
Quintana thinks Froome's issue was the heat yesterday, what's interesting was Froome seemed to benefit from the heat in the Tour.
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