Can the Giro d'Italia-Tour de France Double Ever Be Done Again?

It's one of the most mythical accomplishments in all of cycling: the Giro d'Italia-Tour de France double. Many have attempted it, but few have been so lucky to accomplish it in the modern era of cycling. The last to succeed, a drug-riddled Marco Pantani, did so behind unbelievable climbing in the high mountains and solid time trialing.

Since Pantani, only one rider has even claimed he'd like to attempt the double: Ivan Basso. Back in 2007, coming off his first and only grand tour win to date, Basso expressed his desire to bag both grand tours for his new Discovery Channel team. But the Italian would never get the chance that year, as he was instead banned from professional cycling for two years for his involvement in the Operacion Puerto scandal. Since Basso's brash claims, the Giro-Tour double has been a silent topic among the most elite stage racers in the world.

The modern era of cycling has seen a complete change in the way elite cyclists prepare for any given race. Before improvements in diet, training regimens and technology, cyclists rode hard throughout the season, each trying to win throughout the year. But today all that has changed. Today's cyclists target specific goals, often putting all of their season's preparation into one race, like the Tour de France.

With this new specialization within the sport, it seems unlikely that a Giro-Tour double will ever happen again. However, each generation of cyclists seems to give the sport truly special athletes capable of doing the seemingly impossible. Today's current line up of elite stage racers doesn't have many names capable of accomplishing the double, but there are a few.

Alberto Contador has already accomplished a double in his career, albeit not the Giro-Tour double. Contador took both the Giro and the Vuelta a Espana in 2008, after his Astana team was denied entrance into the Tour due to past team doping violations. The Spaniard, easily the world's best stage racer, has not even addressed the possibility of winning both the Giro and Tour in the same year, and has already ruled himself out as a competitor for the 2010 Giro, instead putting all of his focus, once again, into a Tour win.

After Contador, there are only speculative choices among the younger riders in cycling today. Andy Schleck, second to Contador and still very young at only 24, has all of the makings of a future grand tour champion. Riding for former Tour de France winner Bjarne Riis and his Saxo Bank team, Schleck will have a premiere coach tutoring him in the way of the grand tour rider. Not yet an elite time trialist, if Schleck can polish his time trial skills, he could become a positively dominant rider.

Other names to consider include the Liquigas duo of Roman Kreuziger and Vincenzo Nibali, and Sky's Edvald Boasson Hagen. All three riders are young, can climb and time trial, and are a part of top-flight, Pro Tour teams. While all three certainly need to develop, all are nevertheless capable of great things in grand tours. For now though, the Giro-Tour double debate will feature one name and one name only as a legitimate threat: Alberto Contador. The only question now is whether the Spaniard has the desire to try the impossible over the next few seasons.