Is it an ice-cream? Is it a lolly? No, it's the new Vuelta a Espana trophy...

The new Vuelta a Espana trophy that will be awarded to the winner of this year’s race has gained a bit more attention than organisers anticipated after Twitter users pointed out its uncanny resemblance to the logo used by consumer goods giant Unilever on its ice cream products throughout the world. It may also seem familiar to anyone in the UK who follows the BBC’s Masterchef programme.

According to the Spanish website Telecino, one tweeter said that for some reason the trophy, designed by Agatha Ruiz de la Prada, made him want to go and buy a Calippo ice lolly, produced by Unilever’s Spanish subsidiary, Frigo, as well as by Wall’s in the UK.

Another tweeted: “Hello Mr Grocer, my name is Alberto Contador. You see, I won the Vuelta and they told me you’d give me a Frigotruño” – the latter word doesn’t translate directly, but appears to be a less-than-complimentary description of products made by Frigo.

The designer herself, said that she had based it on themes such as “wheels, circulation and movement towards the heart.”

Her husband, journalist Pedro J.Ramírez tweeted in the designer’s defence citing a comment made by his wife, who said: “The Frigo logo? I’ve worked for 20 years designing spirals and hearts. They have always inspired me.”

Irrespective of its similarities to the Frigo logo, compared to the blue and gold bowl awarded to the winner of the Tour de France, or the Giro d'Italia's golden spiral "endless trophy," the prize for winning the Vuelta does seem, to us at least, rather uninspriing.