Chris Froome given Velo d'Or award for best rider of the year after winning Tour/Vuelta double

Chris Froome has been given the Velo d'Or award for the best rider of the year after becoming the first rider to win the Tour de France and Vuelta a España in the same season since the Vuelta was moved to its current slot in the calendar in 1995

Froome has previously won the award in 2013 and 2015, and is only the second rider to win the award on three occasions after Alberto Contador won it in three consecutive years between 2007 and 2009.

Despite having to wait until August 28 to register his first individual stage win of the year, Froome has enjoyed a stellar season, winning the Tour in July, before also taking the red jersey at the Vuelta in September.

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The Team Sky rider then managed to hold his form through to the World Championships, where he took third place in the individual time trial between Tom Dumoulin and Primox Roglic.

Froome's Grand Tour dominance was especially impressive considering a Tour de France route that didn't suit him, with only 36.5km of time trialling, still taking his fourth yellow jersey by just under a minute after a largely defensive three weeks of riding.

Four weeks later and Froome was on the start line of the Vuelta a España, where he managed to hold the red jersey all the way from stage three to Madrid, picking up two stage wins and the points classification as he won by more than two minutes over Vincenzo Nibali.