Aerts first Belgian to finish all three Grand Tours in one year

Mario Aerts has done something that no other Belgian has ever done before. He has ridden all three Grand Tours to the end in one year, reported Sportwereld.be

In the Giro d'Italia, he finished 20th, as the best Belgian rider in the race. He was 70th overall in the Tour de France, and yesterday ended up 28th in the Vuelta a España.

Two other Belgians tried to do the triple in 1963, Frans Aernouts and Guillaume Van Tongerllo, but they were unable to finish all three races. The only other rider to start all three Grand Tours this year was Alberto Ongarato of Team Milram, who finished the Giro and Vuelta, but not the Tour, due to a crash in stage 12 and a broken collarbone.

The 32-year old Predictor-Lotto rider thus became only the 25th rider to join the "Club of the Triples".