Evenepoel "certainly got what it takes" to win Vuelta, past winner Chris Froome believes

Chris Froome has largely been absent from the action at the Vuelta a Espana, however he has been observing the battle for the top places in the general classification - in which he's taken part of many times - and was asked about the potential of Remco Evenepoel to take the final win.

“I don’t see any flaws. He’s yet to prove himself over three weeks, but he’s certainly got what it takes," Froome told reporters over the second week where the Belgian's lead got bolstered in the time-trial, and secured at Peñas Blancas. This weekend however will provide another big challenge with two mountainous stage and hard summit finishes at Sierra de la Pandera and Sierra Nevada in Andalucia. “The GC has been exploding pretty heavily already with a lot of the steep climbs we’ve had. Sierra Nevada will be raced slightly more defensively, in my opinion," Froome said.

“It’s not quite as steep as the climbs we’ve already had in this race, and it’s a climb where it's probably easier for a guy like Remco to control and ride more defensively than on gradients of more than 15 per cent, for example," he details how he believes it will go down on stage 15. “Assuming there are no dramas, it’s his to lose".

“You saw on Thursday how easily a crash can happen, specially on these slippery roads. But barring anything like that, I think he’s got this. He’s been the strongest guy in the race, both on the climbs and in the time trials, too," the veteran added.

Froome has been on Evenepoel's position several times at the Vuelta, having both protected and lost the lead in different years. “That could have an effect if we had a crosswind stage or a situation like when I was caught out in Formigal a few years ago. If something like that happens, and if he needed teammates to react, that could be his only weakness," the Briton pointed out.

As for his own results Froome has not shown meaningful form throughout the Vuelta, and has been struggling through, making it into the Top100 only on the race's individual time-trial.