Sunday 29 / December / 2024
London: Tour de France champion Chris Froome could ride Spain's Vuelta after returning from the Rio Olympics, his Team Sky boss Dave Brailsford said on Tuesday.
Froome, who was crowned champion for the third time in four years in Paris on Sunday after a dominant three weeks, will ride the time trial and road race in Brazil next month.
"That's the plan at the minute. The season-long plan was Tour, on to the Olympics and on after that to the Vuelta. That's still the outline at the minute," Brailsford told Sky Sports.
"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."
Britain's Froome arrived in Spain last year hoping to become the first man to win the Tour de France/Vuelta double since Bernard Hinault but pulled out after an 11th stage crash.
While Froome is Sky's undoubted team leader, Spain's Mikel Landa will be expected to challenge strongly at the Vuelta which begins on Aug. 20 and features 10 summit finishes.
"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 said.
"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."
