Oleg Tinkov "has brushed off his doubters by insisting that he is serious in offering" a €1M ($1.27M) prize to the cyclist who places highest in each of next year’s three grand tours, according to Josh Burrows of the LONDON TIMES.
The Russian multi-millionaire, who bankrolls the Tinkoff-Saxo team, "made the offer last week when he challenged Alberto Contador, Chris Froome, Nairo Quintana and Vincenzo Nibali to commit to riding all three major races." The prize money, he insisted, "could be split between the four or awarded to the single most successful rider."
Nibali, the winner of this year’s Tour de France, "has dismissed the offer as a publicity stunt while Quintana’s Movistar team and Froome’s Sky squad have said they would speak to their riders about the possibility." Contador, who rides for Tinkoff-Saxo, "would be unlikely to refuse the offer made by his paymaster" (
LONDON TIMES, 10/13). The BBC reported team Tinkoff-Saxo has said that "it is 'very serious' about its proposals." Team CEO Stefano Feltrin said, "This isn't a publicity stunt. The fact our team owner Oleg Tinkov is putting on the table a financial incentive is proof of our intentions." Team Sky Principal Dave Brailsford, whom Tinkov targeted with a Twitter message reiterating the challenge, said that "a series of high-profile clashes would fuel interest in the sport, even if it may prove difficult for the riders involved."
Tinkoff-Saxo Team Manager Bjarne Riis: "I think there is a very small number of riders that are able to accomplish such a remarkable feat and we still don't know who they might be, because it hasn't been done before. That's the beauty of this challenge" (
BBC, 10/13).
