Froome to race Vuelta a Espana

David Brailsford, Team Sky’s Principal, announced that Tour de France winner Chris Froome could compete in the Vuelta a Espana held from August 20 to September 11.

The final decision will be made following the Olympic Games, of which Froome is a leading contender for the road race on August 6 and the time trial on August 10 in Rio de Janeiro.

In an interview with Sky Sports, Brailsford said, "That's the plan at the minute. The season-long plan was Tour, on to the Olympics and on after that to the Vuelta, and that's still the outline at the minute.

"As we go through the next phase with the Olympics, we will assess it as we go along. All being well, that's what we will be doing."

The report also noted that Froome, who recently won his third Tour de France title, is aiming to become the third rider in history to win both the Tour and Vuelta in the same year, alongside Jacques Anquetil who won both in 1963 and Bernard Hinault who won both in 1978.

Should Froome toe the start line at the Vuelta on August 20 in Balneario Laias, he could share some leadership responsibilities with Mikel Landa. Team Sky signed the Spaniard to be this year’s team leader at the Giro d’Italia, however he was forced to pull out of the race during stage 10 due to Illness.

He instead started the Tour de France and was a key member of the team that brought Froome to his third career overall victory in Paris.

A decision with regard to how a leadership would be split for the Vuelta a Espana, if at all, will be decided later on.

"The plan is for Mikel to do it and we will assess where he is at. I think he needs another race before the Vuelta, so we will see where we are at,” Brailsford told Sky Sports. "It's his home race and a lot of the race is around his home town and up in the north of Spain, and we have big ambitions for him as well."

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