merckx returned to the giro in 1972 and resumed his domination. he grabbed the lead after a long solo attack during the race's seventh stage and never let go of the lead. merckx led the 1973 giro d'italia from start to finish; a feat that had not been done since alfredo binda did in 1927. josé manuel fuente gained the lead early on in 1974 and held it all the way up to the giro's fourteenth stage. fuente had forgotten to eat properly during the fourteenth stage and suffered because of it; he lost over ten minutes to merckx. merckx would go on to win his fifth and final giro d'italia by just 12 seconds, joining the likes of alfredo binda and fausto coppi as the only five-time winners of the giro d'italia. merckx success continued on into the season as he won the tour de france and the men's road race at the world championships and became the first rider to complete the triple crown of cycling – which consists of winning two grand tours and the men's road race at the world championships in one calendar year.