Cycling: Chris Froome completes historic double

Chris Froome has achieved what all cyclists dream about: his name will be in the sport's history books. The Briton remained safe in the peloton in the last stage of the 2017 Vuelta a Espana and won the general classification with an advantage of 2 minutes and 15 seconds over second-placed Vincenzo Nibali. Russia's Ilnur Zakarin finished third, 2 minutes and 51 seconds behind the Team Sky leader. Chris Froome becomes the third man to complete the Tour de France-Vuelta double in the same year but he is the only rider that has won first the Tour de France and then the Vuelta as the Tour of Spain was initially held in April. Moreover, Chris Froome wanted to hold on to the points jersey as well, so he took part in the final sprint in Madrid and clinched an 11th place, which allowed him to finish first in the points classification ahead of stage winner Matteo Trentin. Spain's Alberto Contador, who announced his retirement after the race, was allowed to lead the bunch as the riders entered Madrid and got a deserved ovation from the fans. Italy's Davide Villella won the mountains jersey while Astana won the team's classification. "I've been fighting for this victory for six years. It's amazing to stand on the top step this time," Froome said, as he finished second in the Vuelta on three previous occasions. "To set off at the start of the year with the goal of winning the Tour of France and back it up at the Vuelta is an incredible feeling. But it is nothing I could have achieved on my own. I've got an amazing team behind me. To win two Grand Tours like this is an amazing feeling and it's going to be hard to top." French riders Jacques Anquetil (in 1963) and Bernard Hinault (in 1978) were the only ones who managed to win both races in the same calendar year. Chris Froome is now 5/6 at Bet365 to win next year's Tour de France as well.