Froome has also insisted he will target the Giro-Tour double in 2018 – 20 years after the last time it was achieved, by Marco Pantani.

While accepting it will be a huge challenge – particularly in light of Nairo Quintana and Alberto Contador’s recent unsuccessful double attempts – Froome says winning the Tour de France and Vuelta a Espana in the same season has given him confidence to target it.

“It’s something the team have considered carefully and we’ve talked about a lot,” he said. We know that it would be a significant feat in the modern era to win both the Giro and the Tour in the same season, but the way we managed things this year gives me confidence that I can successfully target both races.

“Another factor is that there is an extra week between next year’s Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France. That’s one more week for recovery and for training than there would be normally, which I think potentially makes it more manageable and conducive to being able to hit both races in great shape.

“The way we managed that period from the Tour through to the Vuelta this season was a great learning experience for us and hopefully something that will stand me in good stead for 2018.”