Chris Froome is not the only rider trying to win the Tour de France, Olympic Time Trial and Olympic Road Race in 2016. Spaniard Alberto Contador, riding for Tinkoff-Saxo in what may be his last year as a pro, has stated his ambition to win all three events next summer.

The 32-year-old Spaniard told Sky Sports News HQ: "Next year will be special for the Olympic Games. It is true a lot of riders have the same motive and that only one can win. OK, it [the Olympics] is after the Tour de France, but it is special because the road race is hard, with long mountains, and this can be good for me.”

Contador and Froome are aided by the fact that both the races in Rio are held on challenging courses. But after 21 days of battling in France, the 17 days that exists between the last Tour stage, the Road Race and Time Trial, winning all three will be very difficult and no one has won all three in the same Olympic year.