The oldest Grand Tour debutant

You probably won't guess who it is...

Paul Double’s cycling journey is brilliant. A rider who has persevered in cycling’s nether regions for 10 years, eventually got himself signed by Jayco Alula and is now making his Grand Tour debut at the Giro this weekend, at the age of 28.

There is a good, recent profile on him on the Rouleur website:

“This is my favourite video of a cycling race,” he beams. “So it’s the last stage of Slovenia, I’m doing well on GC (seventh), and you see Pogačar attack. Matej Mohorič is on his wheel, Rafał Majka in red as the KOM leader… and then it’s me!”

That was at the 2022 Tour of Slovenia where he managed seventh place on GC, in what was only his second race ever at that level (2.Pro). It’s obviously a race which suited him as he finished eighth in 2023 and sixth last year. And now he’s riding the Giro, supporting the likes of Filippo Zana and Luke Plapp.

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If 28 sounds like it’s very old to be making one’s Grand Tour debut, it’s not really. It’s definitely older than your average, but not old enough to be considered extraordinary or exceptional. In fact, Double isn’t even the oldest Grand Tour debutant at this year’s Giro.