ONE-TWO-THREE
Recently that happened on the Col du Tourmalet and the Altu de L’Angliru during the Vuelta a España, where Jumbo-Visma performed a triology. Below, we’ll explain all that in more detail. First, we dive into the history of the last half century and come across the following one-two-three stages, among others.
67th Tour de France 13th stage Pau-Bagnères de Luchon July 19, 1980
Miko-Mercier-Vivagel
Classification leader Bernard Hinault fails to start this 200 km Pyrenees stage over the Aubisque, Tourmalet, Aspin and the Peyresourde due to knee problems. That day will be a grandiose success for the French Miko-Mercier-Vivagel team, which will take the first three places in the day’s classification. It is Raymond Martin who crosses the finish line first after a 95 km solo after 6h27’37”. Behind him, a group of nine men is fighting for the other two podium places. With a gap of 03’13”, teammate Sven-Ake Nillson crosses the finish line, while the third man of Miko-Mercier-Vivagel Christian Seznec wins the sprint from the remaining eight men after 03’27”, with Joop Zoetemelk, Hennie Kuiper and Johan de Muynck. Three men from Miko-Mercier-Vivagel on the podium: a unique affair. Out of respect for Bernard Hinault, Joop Zoetemelk refused to wear the yellow jersey during the stage. In his ten Tour participations (1973-1983), all of which he finishes, Martin will never win another stage, but does arrive in Paris every time. He also becomes winner of the mountain classification in 1980.
46th Vuelta a España 13th stage Benasque-Zaragoza May 11, 1991
PDM-Ultima-Concorde
After wins in the 6th stage Albacete-Valencia and the 9th stage Sant Cugat del Vallés-Lloret de Mar, PDM-Ultima-Concorde rider Jean-Paul van Poppel will win the 13th stage Benasque-Zaragoza on May 11. On the final day, he will also win the stage to Madrid. In all cases, he wins the sprint of the complete peloton. In Zaragoza, teammates John Talen and Uwe Raab follow in his wake. A wonderful team success! Despite his four stage wins, the win in the points classification goes to his teammate Uwe Raab with 169 points. Van Poppel comes third with 116 points.
58th Flèche Wallonne April 20, 1994
Gewiss-Ballan
This coup by the Italian team is still on the minds of many cycling fans. Three riders of Gewiss-Ballan rode away at sixty kilometers before the finish on the Wall of Huy: Moreno Argentin, Giorgio Furlan and Yevgeni Berzin. Only after the finish line do the others see them again. They are not the first the best in the peloton. Furlan won Milan-Sanremo (March 23) and Berzin won Liège-Bastogne-Liège (April 21). It almost goes without saying that the win now goes to Argentina. In the final climb, Berzin has to let go and comes in third at 00’22”. The 34-year-old Argentin wins the sprint. A big doping haze (epo) remains around the team performance because of the collaboration with sports doctor Michele Ferrari. In the same year, Gewiss-Ballan men Berzin wins the Giro d’Italia and Vladislav Bobrik wins the Tour of Lombardy.
94th Paris-Roubaix April 14, 1996
Mapei-GB
Another result that has stuck in the memory. Who does not remember Johan Museeuw, Gianluca Bortolami and Andrea Tafi crossing the finish line with their arms raised on the Vélodrome of Roubaix? On the cobbled stretch between Warlaing and Brillon with 80 kilometers left before the wheels, they bid farewell to the peloton along with Franco Ballerini, the winner a year earlier. A flat tire becomes fatal to Ballerini and the three continue together. Fifteen kilometers before the finish line, team boss Giorgio Squinzi decides that Museeuw must win. Sport director Patrick Lefevere just has to get the message across. Bortolami is awarded second place and Andrea Tafi has to be satisfied with third place. And so it happens! Even when Museeuw has a flat tire, the two Italians wait for him. What team discipline! There is still satisfaction for Tafi because he wins Paris-Roubaix in 1999.
32e Giro Rosa July 11, 2021
SD Worx
The final podium consists of Anna van der Breggen, Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio and Demi Vollering, all three riding for the SD Worx formation. Van der Breggen has a 01’43” and 03’25” lead over her teammates, respectively. During the race, they also took the second stage Boves-Prato Nevosa in the same order. In the ninth stage Feletto Umberto-Monte Matajur, Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio won and Demi Vollering and Anna van der Breggen finished second and third. Being on the podium with three teammates is the most natural thing in the world!
59e Trofeo Laigueglia March 2, 2022
UAE Team Emirates
For years, the Trofeo Laigueglia has been the opening race of the Italian cycling season. The seaside resort of Laigueglia is located in the province of Savona on the Ligurian coast. In the past, five Belgians have won here: Eddy Merckx (1973, 1974), Freddy Maertens (1977), Roger de Vlaeminck (1980), Johan Museeuw (1995), Frank Vandenbroucke (1996). For the Netherlands, the honorary list includes: Theo de Rooij (1982) and Bauke Mollema (2021). In 2022, all honors will go to the UAE
Team Emirates. Winner will be Slovenian Jan Polanc and two seconds behind his teammates Juan Ayoso and Alessandro Covi who in turn beat Rota Lorenzo of Intermarché Wanty-Gobert. After this, a fragmented peloton enters. Those who visit Laigueglia will find a wall in the center in the Piazza de Pescadori (Fishermen’s Square) with oval ceramic autograph plates of riders and former riders.
80th Paris-Nice 1st stage March 6, 2022
Team Jumbo-Visma
In the first stage, which starts and arrives in Mantes-la-Ville, Jumbo-Visma immediately makes its presence felt by claiming the first three places in the day’s results. And how? Christophe Laporte, who has come over from Cofidis gets the win in his lap from Primoz Roglic and Wout van Aert. It is a reward for the work he has already done and for the work he will have to do for the team in the future. After all, to govern is to look ahead! Pierre Latour (TotalEnergie) finished fourth at 00’19” after which the peloton followed at 00’24”. Roglic will eventually become overall winner of this 80th edition.
76th Vuelta a Espanã 13th stage September 6, 2023
Team Jumbo Visma
The stage to the Tourmalet will go down in history for two reasons. First, for the Jumbo-Visma demonstration by claiming places one, two and three. In order: 1. Vingegaard, 2. Kuss at 00’30” and 3. Roglic at 00’33”. Second, it is a total off day for Remco Evenepoel who seems to be the biggest competitor the Jumbo-Visma block. Already at 80 kilometers before the finish he has to pass on the Aubisque and has to concede more than 27 minutes. The road is then clear for the yellow brigade. And they make it happen. Tour winner Jonas Vingegaard tops the Col du Tourmalet first. Kus and Roglic follow. All three men now have a stage win in their pocket in this Vuelta. The Jumbo Visma trio now also leads the general classification: 1. Kuss, 2. Roglic at 01’37” and three Vingegaard at 01’44”.
76th Vuelta a Espanã 17th stage 13 September 2023
Team Jumbo Visma
Then you think the performance on the Tourmalet was a one-off but then it is repeated on the Angliru. Everything is in a different order but again one, two and three in the day’s results and still one, two and three in the general classification. It is Remco Evenepoel who draws the start of the stage. Until the bottom of the climb to the Angliru, after initially being in a larger breakaway, he remains alone in front with a lead of one and a half minutes. The last to drop out is his teammate Mattia Cattaneo. Behind him, a group has formed with five riders from Bahrain Victorious including Wout Poels and Mikel Landa and four from Jumbo Visma: Sepp Kuss, Primoz Roglic, Jonas Vingegaard and Wilco Kelderman, who later drops out. At 5.5 km below the summit, Evenepoel is caught. Out of the Bahrain and Jumbo men will come the stage winner. In a foggy setting, Roglic and Vingegaard battle for the win and 19 seconds later, Kuss, beats Landa in the sprint, picking up a few more bonification seconds. Another one, two and three in the day’s results and still one, two, three in the general classification.
There are still four stages to go. The question on everyone’s mind is whether the three Jumbo-Visma men will be able to maintain their positions and what the final ranking will be. Will they fight each other or is a non-aggression pact already in place? The sports press and TV commentators come up with all kinds of speculations but no one knows what is going on internally at Jumbo-Visma! Never before has a team won all three grand tours in one year. At the finish line of the 20th stage on Saturday, Sept. 16, the verdict will become clear. With Kuss in the middle, the three cross the finish line arm in arm. There is and will be no more fighting between them. The final stage to Madrid will be a triumph for Kuss and for the team. General manager Richard Plugge says in a TV interview, “It is in one word phenomenal. For us it was clear. We want to win the match together. The motto is: Winning together. How great are these guys. Kuss is wholeheartedly to be congratulated. It is a shining example of how we work as a team”. On to Madrid!
Text and Fotos: © Teus Korporaal
