Chris Froome celebrated winning his fourth Tour de France earlier this month ©Getty Images

Four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome is to take part in an event to help promote next year's Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, it was announced in South Korea today.

The Briton will ride in the second L'Etape Korea by Le Tour de France, an event for amateur cyclists due to be held on a 160 kilometres course between the South Korean capital Seoul and Pyeongchang on October 14 and 15.

South Korean marketing firm WAGTI claimed that the presence of Froome, winner of four of the last five editions of the Tour de France, including this year's which finished earlier this month, will help raise awareness of Pyeongchang 2018.

It will be the second year that 32-year-old Froome, a double Olympic bronze medallist in the time trial at London 2012 and Rio 2016, has taken part in the event. 

He also rode in last year's L'Etape.

WAGTI revealed that the Amaury Sport Organisation, organisers of the Tour de France, has visited South Korea and inspected the route.

Froome won his fourth Tour when he beat Colombia's Rigoberto Urán by 54 seconds. 

Chris Froome took part in last year's L'Etape Korea by Le Tour de France ©WAGTI
Chris Froome took part in last year's L'Etape Korea by Le Tour de France ©WAGTI

Before travelling to South Korea, Froome is aiming to become the first rider to win the Tour de France and Vuelta a Espana in the same year since since the Spanish race moved from April, to August and September in 1995.

The 2017 Vuelta - the Spanish race that is the third of the three Grand Tours along with the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France - is due to begin in the French city of Nimes on August 19 and finishes three weeks later on September 10 in Madrid.

Froome could face competition in the general classification from many of the same riders who he beat to the yellow jersey in the Tour de France.

France's Romain Bardet, Italy's Fabio Aru, and Spain's Alberto Contador are all expected to be on the start line, as well as Vincenzo Nibali, the Italian who missed the Tour de France.

Froome has come close to winning the Vuelta on three occasions in the past - he finished just 13 seconds behind Spain's Juan Jose Cobo in 2011 while riding for team-mate Bradley Wiggins, before coming second to Contador in 2014 and Colombia's Nairo Quintana in 2016.

Victory in this season's race would make Froome the first Briton to win Spain's national tour and only the third rider in history to manage the Tour-Vuelta double - but Jacques Anquetil's victory in 1963 and Bernard Hinault's in 1978 both came when the race was held in April.