Storey backs Froome for prize

PARALYMPIC star Dame Sarah Storey believes Chris Froome is the obvious candidate to win the BBC Sports Personality of the Year (SOTY) award for his “staggering” achievements.

Having won a third straight Tour de France in July, his fourth in five years, Froome completed an unprecedented double when he added the Vuelta to his CV.

In doing so, he became the first British cyclist to win the race and joined French greats Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault as the only men to have won both the French and Spanish ‘Grand Tours’ in the same season, although they did it before the Vuelta moved from spring to autumn.

Storey said: “For me, he was already a great with his four Tour wins, three in a row, but to do what he has just done is staggering.

“This kind of dominance, done genuinely, has not been seen for a very long time. To win these races, just a month apart, is the most remarkable thing you can do in cycling.

“I don’t think people can imagine how hard something like this is. Your body just becomes so depleted, and your metabolism is racing, it is really difficult to even maintain your weight.

“However, he has managed to get over the Tour, carve out some time to recover, keep training and then go again, at the front of the race, day after day.”

That said, Froome’s performances have been impressive since 2011 but they have not translated into SPOTY success.

The 32-year-old made the award’s shortlist in 2013 and 2015, finishing sixth in the public vote both times, but failed to make the 16-strong list last year, despite winning the Tour, several other races and an Olympic bronze medal.