Froome spearheads Team Sky's Vuelta squad

London - Three-time Tour de France champion Chris Froome will lead Team Sky's line-up at the forthcoming Vuelta a Espana, the British outfit confirmed on Monday.

Froome, who won a bronze medal in the men's time-trial at the Rio Olympics, is bidding to become the first man to complete a Tour-Vuelta double in the same year since France's Bernard Hinault in 1978.

The team is completed by Ian Boswell, Michal Golas, Pete Kennaugh, Christian Knees, Michal Kwiatkowski, Mikel Landa, Salvatore Puccio and Leo Konig.

"It's already been a great summer for both myself and the team, but the Vuelta is another big challenge for us," Froome said in a Team Sky press release.

"The tough course and stiff competition is bound to make for some aggressive racing. We're going there with a strong group of guys who have a lot of experience with this race.

"The Vuelta is a race I really enjoy and where I guess you could say I have unfinished business, so I'm looking forward to getting started."

Froome, 31, broke a bone in his foot at last year's Vuelta, having previously finished second in 2011 and 2014.

Carlos Sastre was the last cyclist to attempt a Tour-Vuelta double in 2008.

As well as claiming bronze for Great Britain in the time-trial for the second Olympics running, Froome finished 12th in the road race.

His Irish Sky team-mate Nicolas Roche developed pneumonia while in Rio, ruling him out of the Vuelta.

The 2016 Vuelta begins in Ourense, northwest Spain, on August 20 and finishes on September 11 in Madrid.