Alberto Contador

Alberto Contador stands as the most decorated grand tour rider of his generation, with 9 grand tour victories across 2 Tour de France, 3 Giro d'Italia, and 3 Vuelta a Espana titles — though some were later stripped due to doping sanctions. His 2011 Giro win featured a dramatic 6.2km mountain time trial Stage 16, where he bypassed main rival Vincenzo Nibali to seal the overall lead. Contador's climbing prowess outpaces #10 Tadej Pogacar's early-stage consistency, given his ability to dominate in multiple terrains across three-week races. Notably, his 2007 Tour de France victory came with an average speed of 38.7 km/h over the Pyrenean stages, a benchmark that exceeds the typical grand tour climber's performance. Despite the controversies, his grand tour tally remains unmatched among cyclists of the early 2000s.