Italy's Vincenzo Nibali looks set
to claim victory in the 2014 Tour de France this weekend and
join an elite club of riders to have won all three of cycling's
grand tours.
The 29-year-old Sicilian, who is nicknamed the "shark", is
expected to conserve his massive lead of over seven minutes over
his nearest rival, Frence's Thibaut Pinot, in the flat 19th
stage from Maubourguet Pays du Val d'Adour to Bergerac on
Friday.
So the only thing that can stop him from adding to his 2010
Vuelta en Espana and 2013 Giro d'Italia titles looks to be a
crash in Saturday's time trial.
But looking fresh despite three weeks of gruelling
competition, Nibali may well increase his lead on Saturday to
set up a victory parade along Paris' Champs-Élysées in Sunday's
finale.
The Astana rider has worn the yellow leader jersey for all
but two stages of this year's race, four of which he has won.
He had a dose of luck after crashes forced last year's
champion Chris Froome and double Tour winner Alberto Contador
out of the race.
But he took full advantage, always finishing ahead of his
rivals in the mountains, and will be a worthy winner.
Victory will make Nibali the sixth rider to win all three
grand tours after Contador, Frenchmen Bernard Hinault and
Jacques Anquetil, fellow Italian Felice Gimondi and Belgian Eddy
Merckx.
The last Italian to win the Tour was Marco 'the pirate'
Pantani in 1998, when he also won the Giro.
Pantani, whose career was hit by doping scandals, died
aged 34 of a drugs overdose 10 years ago.
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