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LA VUELTA 2017

Chris Froome finally ends long Vuelta wait

As a four-time Tour de France champion Chris Froome is used to winning, but the Briton has suffered a long wait to finally land the Vuelta a España.

Update:
Sky's British cyclist Christopher Froome
JOSE JORDANAFP

Chris Froome completed a historic Tour-Vuelta double on Sunday, becoming just the third rider in history to win both Grand Tours in the same year after Frenchmen Jacques Anquetil (1963) and Bernard Hinault (1978).

History maker

Even the normally bashful Froome admitted with his latest feat he was "sealing my place in the history of the sport."

CHRIS FROOME
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CHRIS FROOMEJESUS RUBIODIARIO AS

However, Froome recognised that finally standing on top of the podium in Madrid in the leader's red jersey brought out different emotions to his Tour triumphs having fallen just short with three second-placed finishes in 2011, 2014 and 2016.

"I've been trying for years and I've been second three times, so to win the Vuelta now is incredible," he said after safely negotiating the daunting final climb of a brutal three-week race up Alto de l'Angliru on Saturday before Sunday's parade around Madrid's city centre.

"For me it certainly has been harder to win the Vuelta than the Tour."