Froome to start 2016 season at the Herald Sun Tour

Team Sky have revealed that Chris Froome will kick off his 2016 racing season at the Herald Sun Tour in Australia, from February 3 to 7.

Froome has visited the Herald Sun Tour previously when he raced for Barloworld in 2008. Eight years later it will be the starting point for a season that he is hoping to make his most successful yet.

As always, Froome's gaze will be firmly set on the Tour de France in July, where he will line up as defending champion.

The British rider will also be aiming to keep his form further into the summer with a tilt at the Olympics road race and time trial.

This would be an unprecedented triple as no rider has ever won all three - Tour, Olympics RR, Olympics TT - let alone in the same year.

Froome has previous experience of such a challenge when he rode to a bronze medal behind Sir Bradley Wiggins in the 2012 Olympics TT and was present in a support capacity for Mark Cavendish's ultimately doomed road race.

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On the Herald Sun Tour, Froome said: "I'm really pleased to start my 2016 season at the Jayco Herald Sun Tour. Victoria is a beautiful part of the world and racing in the warm climate will give me a good platform for the new season.

"We don't often get a chance to race in front of our Aussie fans so we're all looking forward to seeing them over there as well."