FROOME: THIS IS SPECIAL
CHRIS FROOME is already dreaming of a fifth Tour de France crown after cementing his place in greatness.
When Va Va Froome rolled over the finish line in Madrid, as only the third cyclist to win Le Tour and its brutal Spanish brother La Vuelta in the same season, he completed one of the most outstanding feats in British sporting history.
Only the most mean-spirited and churlish minds would question Froome’s installation as second favourite for Sports Personality of the Year behind Anthony Joshua.
Only Jacques Anquetil in 1963 and Bernard Hinault, 39 years ago, have done the TourVuelta double before.
But Froome, 32, has not finished milking the plaudits like a dairy maid yet. Next week he could win a rainbow jersey in the time trials at the UCI World Championships.
And a fifth Tour de France yellow jersey in 2018 would elevate him from greatness to cycling immortality alongside Eddy Merckx, Hinault, Anquetil and Miguel Indurain.
Froome said: ““I think this is my greatest achievement – and I also have to say this is probably the toughest Grand Tour I have ever ridden.
“I could only have dreamed of being in a position to make history.
“This feels like sealing my place in the history of the sport. It’s special, very special.”