Chris Froome wins 2017 Tour de France. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Chris Froome has officially been named as the winner of the 2011 Vuelta a Espana retrospectively making him Britain's first Grand Tour winner.
Cycling's world governing body the UCI announced last month that the now retired Spanish rider Juan Jose Cobo had been found guilty of an anti-doping violation based on abnormalities from 2009 and 2011 detected in his Biological Passport" and ruled him ineligible for a period of three years.
Cobo had beaten Froome by 13 seconds in the 2011 race.
The 30 days Cobo had to appeal has now passed, with Froome now declared the winner and thereby Britain's first grand tour winner as Bradley Wiggins did not win the Tour de France until the following year.
Froome now adds the title to his Tour de France wins in 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017, his Vuelta win in 2017, and the 2018 Giro d'Italia crown.
News of Cobo's doping violation came just a day after Froome was involved in a crash during a reconnaissance ride at the Criterium du Dauphine, in which he suffered a broken femur and broken ribs amongst a long list of injuries, ending his hopes of a record-equalling fifth Tour crown.
The 34-year-old spent three weeks in hospital before being released for rehabilitation, and has this week been riding on an indoor training bike using one leg.
-AAP