Froome to ride in Vuelta as he aims for place in history books

IT was no great secret that he was planning to ride the Vuelta a Espana after winning his fourth Tour de France title on Sunday but Chris Froome has now confirmed beyond all doubt that he will be seeking to make history at the three-week race beginning August 19.

Froome (below), who has been runner-up three times at the Vuelta, had previously said he wanted to see how he recovered from the Tour “and how I back up in training going into the Vuelta if that remains the plan.”

However, speaking to Sky Sports yesterday after travelling over to England for a visit to his team’s paymasters, the 32-year-old said that he would “certainly” be going for his second grand tour of the season where he will attempt to become Britain’s first winner of the race.

“The Vuelta is a race I love racing,” Froome said. “It’s a vicious race but it’s three weeks that I enjoy. I’ve come second three times now and I’d love to win the Vuelta.

“To win the Tour and the Vuelta in one year would be absolutely incredible. I’ve got that opportunity now and I’m certainly going to go for it.”

Victory would make Froome - who trained to peak late in the Tour, partly with the Vuelta in mind - not only the first Briton ever to win Spain’s national tour but only the third rider in history to manage the Tour-Vuelta double after Jacques Anquetil in 1963 and Bernard Hinault in 1978.

Both of those men did it when the race was held in April, though, rather than having just ridden it the Tour.

The official Vuelta start list has yet to be announced but Froome’s major challenge for the red jersey is likely to come in the form of some of the riders he has just beaten at the Tour, including Romain Bardet [AG2R], Fabio Aru [Astana], Rigoberto Uran [Cannondale-Drapac] and three-time champion Alberto Contador [Trek-Segafredo], who finished 10th in France but looked surprisingly sprightly in the final week.

Tom Dumoulin (Sunweb), defending champion Nairo Quintana [Movistar] and the injured Alejandro Valverde (also Movistar) won’t be racing, but Vincenzo Nibali [BahrainMerida] and Ilnur Zakarin [Katusha-Alpecin] are also believed to be targeting the Vuelta having ridden the Giro d’Italia in May.