London: Chris Froome has set his sights on a historic double as the Tour de France champion confirmed he will race in the ‘vicious’ Vuelta a Espana.
Froome claimed his fourth yellow jersey in Paris on Sunday and now he hopes to become the first rider in 22 years to win both the Tour and the Vuelta in the same year. The 32-year-old has finished second three times in the Vuelta and believes he can go one better this time despite the formidable test provided by the Spanish race. Romain Bardet, Fabio Aru, and Alberto Contador are all expected to ride, while Vincenzo Nibali, who missed the Tour, may also be a strong contender.
“I’ve got the opportunity and I’m certainly going to go for it,” Froome said on Team Sky’s website.
“The Vuelta is a race I love, it’s vicious but it’s three weeks that I enjoy.
“I’ve come second three times now and I’d love to win. To win both the Tour and the Vuelta in one year would be absolutely incredible.”
The Vuelta is the third of cycling’s three Grand Tours, along with the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France.
No British rider has ever won the Vuelta a Espana, which this year starts on August 19 in Nimes and ends on September 10 in Madrid.
Froome does not have long to recuperate but Team Sky principal Dave Brailsford believes his star rider is capable of a memorable double.
“There’s no reason why not. We’ve got four weeks to the start of the Vuelta,” Brailsford said.
“We’ve got a couple of races in between but we’ll dust ourselves down a little bit and go and do it all over again.”
Only two riders — Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault — have won the Tour de France and Vuelta in the same year, although they achieved it in 1963 and 1978 when the Spanish race was held in April.
Team Sky’s Froome, who won a fourth Tour de France last weekend, will face tough competition as he tries to win the race for the first time having finished second on three occasions, most recently last year when beaten by Nairo Quintana.
On paper, this year’s Vuelta looks tougher than the Tour de France with nine summit finishes including, on the penultimate stage, the formidable Alto de l’Angliru — a 12.2 km climb averaging 10.2 per cent and going up to 23.5 in places.
The race finishes in Madrid on September 10. — Agencies
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
