Froome: Tour-Vuelta double 'an amazing feeling'

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Chris Froome joined elite company on Sunday as only the third rider in history to win the Vuelta a Espana and Tour de France in the same year.

Froome beat four-time Grand Tour winner Vincenzo Nibali by two minutes and 15 seconds, with Russia's Ilnur Zakarin completing the podium in the general classification, as Matteo Trentin claimed his fourth victory of the race with good performance in the 21st and final stages.

"I would say this victory is special because it is the first time anyone who has ever won the Tour de France and gone on to win the Vuelta a Espana starting less than one month apart," said Froome.

The Briton joins Frenchmen Jacques Anquetil (1963) and Bernard Hinault (1978) as the only riders to win the Tour and Vuelta in the same year.

Team Sky's British cyclist Chris Froome (C) rides in Madrid during the final stage of the 72nd edition of "La Vuelta" on September 10, 2017. /AFP Photo

But Froome is the first man to win both races since the Vuelta was moved to after the Tour in the racing calendar in 1995.

"That was a huge challenge from an athletic point of view to try and be at the top level for that long was such a big challenge," he said.

Froome, a four-time winner of the Tour de France, had previously finished runner-up at the Vuelta on three occasions, in 2011, 2014 and 2016.

The Sky rider led the race all the way from stage three to Madrid thanks to wins in the 9th stage and the individual time trial in the 16th stage.

"To have been here for the past six years trying to win the Vuelta and being three times second it is such an amazing feeling to have eventually won this red jersey.

"It is really emotional and at this moment I couldn't be happier," said Froome.

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Source(s): AFP ,Reuters