Froome makes history after being crowned Vuelta champion

Chris Froome became the first Briton to win the Vuelta a Espana and the third rider to win a double of the Tour de France and Vuelta in the same season when he finished the race by retaining his advantage over Vincenzo Nibali on Sunday.

Froome and Nibali crossed the Madrid finish line together, allowing Team Sky rider Froome to stay two minutes 15 seconds ahead of the Italian after the processional, 117.5 kilometre stage.

Italian Matteo Trentin took the stage victory, his fourth of this year’s Vuelta, but narrowly missed out to Froome on the green jersey for the points classification.

Froome is the third cyclist to win the Tour and the Vuelta in the same year, after Jacques Anquetil in 1963 and Bernard Hinault in 1978.

He is also the first to win both races since 1995 when the Vuelta was shifted from its old start date in late April to late August, when temperatures in Spain are at their highest and put an extra strain on riders.

Although the general classification victory was in the bag, Froome did not let up in the final stage and joined the bunch sprint at the end, coming 11th, the best finish of the general classification group, with Russian Ilnur Zakarin, third overall, 18th and runner-up Nibali 22nd.