Chris Froome has officially been named as the winner of the 2011 Vuelta a Espana after a doping case involving Juan Jose Cobo, retrospectively making him Britain’s first winner of a Grand Tour.
It sees Froome collect a seventh title from one of cycling’s three-week races.
World governing body the UCI had announced last month that the now-retired 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.
The Spaniard had 30 days in which to appeal against the sanction but the UCI has updated the results on its official website.
Cobo, riding for Geox-TMC, had beaten Froome by 13 seconds eight years ago, with Froome’s fellow Team Sky rider Sir Bradley Wiggins third, one minute and three seconds down. The British pair are now listed as first and second.
Froome is, therefore, Britain’s first winner of a Grand Tour as Wiggins did not win the Tour de France until the following July, 10 months later.
Froome told the Team Ineos website: “The Vuelta in 2011 was in many ways my breakthrough race, so this red jersey is special for me.
“I guess it’s extra special too, because – even though it’s eight years on – it was Britain’s first Grand Tour win.
“The Vuelta is a race I love and I have always felt a great connection with it and the Spanish fans.”
