Chris Froome has not ruled out the possibility of targeting the Giro d’Italia in 2018 and trying to hold all three Grand Tour titles at the same time.
The British rider cemented his place in cycling history by claiming the Vuelta a Espana on Sunday to add to his fourth Tour de France victory back in July.
Froome is only the third rider to ever do the Tour-Vuelta double (after Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault), but no-one has done it since the Spanish race was moved to later in the year.
The 32-year-old has not competed in the Giro since 2011, but admits he’s ready to change his usual schedule to go for the career grand slam.
And if he could win in Italy next year, Froome would go alongside Anquetil and Eddy Merckx as the only riders to hold the three main titles at the same time.
“Obviously it’s very early to say, and of course the Giro has come up in question a few times. I’m not going to say no, I’m going to have an open mind about next season, and over the winter I’ll come up with a plan for next year, but one year I’m going to have to target the Giro d’Italia,” Froome said after his Vuelta victory.
Froome did not give up the red jersey after earning it on stage three and cemented his overall advantage over his rivals with stage 9 and stage 16 victories.
His Team Sky domestiques did their normal powerful work to grind down the opposition, with Vincenzo Nibali eventually finishing second overall and Ilnur Zakarin taking third place.
Froome added: “It’s quite overwhelming. You start out at the beginning of the year and set the goal of trying to win the Tour de France and the Vuelta a Espana.
“It’s such a massive challenge and it seemed quite daunting at the time. To be here in Madrid now and to have pulled it off is such an incredible feeling.
“It is not something I could ever have done on my own, so it is thanks to an amazing team around me and an amazing support structure as well.”