“I’ve finished second three times now, but I’ve got a good feeling about this year’s Vuelta,” he said.

“It feels like we’re on much more of a mission this year, and aiming for the Tour/Vuelta double this season has been a huge motivation.

“I don’t think we’ve been to the Vuelta a Espana with a team as strong as we’ve got this year.”

Poels’ return is a significant boost for Froome and Sky, after the Dutchman missed the Tour de France after failing to fully recover from injuries sustained earlier in the year.

He was an integral part of Froome’s Tour de France successes in 2015 and 2016, and with Nieve is set to be a key domestique in the mountains.

Nieve, who will race his final Grand Tour for Team Sky having agreed to join Orica-Scott next season, finished 14^th at the Tour de France and has twice finished in the top ten overall at the Vuelta.

Rosa, meanwhile, has already been on a winning team at the Vuelta, having backed up Fabio Aru’s successful GC bid at the 2015 race.

Knees and Stannard will protect Froome and set the pace on the earlier parts of stages, while Lopez is another supporter for the mountains, having been part of Froome’s first ever Tour de France success in 2013.

Italian time trial champion Moscon, meanwhile, who was fifth at Paris-Roubaix this year, will make his Grand Tour debut and bid to end a season which included a six-week ban for racial abuse on a more positive note.

Froome and Stannard’s selection takes the number of Brits confirmed for the race up to four, with Adam and Simon Yates both selected for Orica-Scott while Hugh Carthy (Cannondale-Drapac), Adam Blythe and Mark Christian (both Aqua Blue Sport) are on their teams’ respective longlists.

Team Sky for 2017 Vuelta a Espana

Chris Froome (GBR)
Ian Stannard (GBR)
Mikel Nieve (ESP)
Wout Poels (NED)
Diego Rosa (ITA)
Gianni Moscon (ITA)
David Lopez (ESP)
Christian Knees (GER)
Salvatore Puccio (ITA)