Chris Froome to target road race World Championship

Fresh from winning the Tour de France on Sunday, Chris Froome has said that his next target will be the World Championships road race in Italy in September.

The hilly route around Florence on September 29 would suit Froome's climbing abilities.

"The World Championships is an event that doesn't often favour climbers like the way it does this year, so it'd be a great opportunity to go for that," Froome said via the Team Sky website.

"I'd like to make the Worlds the focus for the second part of my season and use that as motivation to keep my form up in the races that come before it. I want to try and see the season through, not just switch off completely.

"Winning the yellow and rainbow jerseys would be an incredible double. I've focused on the Tour up until now but being the world champion, that's probably the second biggest prize in cycling."

Froome will take part in a series of post-Tour de France criteriums in Europe before commencing his World Championships preparations.

Sky team-mate and 2012 Tour de France champion Bradley Wiggins has previously stated that he is targetting the world time trial title this season.

Froome's Tour win, plus overall victories in the Tour de Romandie and Criterium du Dauphine earlier this season, have moved the 28-year-old British rider into the top spot in the UCI's WorldTour ranking.

Related links

Chris Froome wins 2013 Tour de France

Chris Froome: Rider profile