"Achieve in the same year the Tour and the Tour would be incredible": Chris Froome

[Pedro's Klinefelter]

The British cyclist, after winning the Grande Boucle, has as its main objective the "ruthless" Vuelta a España.

The Kenyan-born cyclist got his fourth Grande Boucle last Sunday in Paris and now wants to get what nobody has done in 39 years: to win the Tour and the Vuelta in the same season. The last to do so, in 1978, was Frenchman Bernard Hinault.

The 32-year-old Sky rider finished third in Spain on three occasions and believes he can go further this time despite the harshness of this test.

It is hoped that Romain Bardet (Ag2r), Fabio Aru (Astana) and Alberto Contador (Trek-Segafredo) will also be racing although Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain Merida), who did not run the Tour and will be more rested .

"I have the opportunity and I'm going to try," Froome said in a statement posted on Sky's website.

"La Vuelta is a race that I love. It's ruthless but it's three weeks that I really enjoy it," he added. "I've been second on three occasions and now I would like to win it. To achieve the Tour and the Tour in one year would be incredible."

If he does, he would be the first British rider to win the Spanish test, which starts this year on 19th August in Nimes (France) and ends on 10 September in Madrid.

Although Froome will not have much time to recover from the Tour's wear, Sky director Dave Brailsford sees his star broker perfectly capable of achieving this historic double.

"There are no reasons why I can not do it. We have four weeks to rest before the Vuelta begins," says the manager.