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Chris Froome PA Wire/PA Images
On the attack

Froome releases independent test results in a bid to prove that he's clean

“I am proud to ride for a team that has shown that you can win the biggest bike races in the world clean.”

CHRIS FROOME IS hopeful the results of physiological tests released yesterday will “tell their own story” as he continues to try to prove he is clean.

Froome stormed to his second Tour de France title earlier this year but faced persistent accusations of doping en route to victory.

He and his Team Sky team-mates faced a hostile reception on several stages, with the Kenyan-born British rider having urine thrown on him by a fan during the 14th stage.

Three sets of data have been published in Esquire magazine; one from 2007, a second from this year’s Tour and a third from independent tests carried out in August by the GSK Human Performance Lab.

Froome said in a statement on his website: “The results today hopefully tell their own story. The figures make one thing very clear to me — if I ever needed any reminder. Natural ability is only one piece of the puzzle of what it takes to win an event like the Tour de France.

“I have always prided myself on my work ethic, dedication and perseverance but without the opportunities and support from Team Sky and Team GB I would not be where I am today.

Team Sky’s belief in my ability, structured coaching and attention to detail have given me the platform to maximise my potential. I am proud to ride for a team that has shown that you can win the biggest bike races in the world clean.”

The data appears to show that Froome’s incredible rise is down to a significant loss in weight. He weighed 75.6kg in 2007 but was down to 67kg in 2015. Froome was estimated to have a power-to-weight ratio of seven watts per kilogram by French television during the tour, an accusation that caused Team Sky to release a limited amount of data during the race.

In the lab, Froome’s power-to-weight ratio was measured at 5.98 watts per kilo and extrapolated to a value of 6.25 watts per kilo if he had been at race weight. GSK HLP’s senior scientist Dr Phillip Bell said Froome was performing at “close to what we believe are the upper limits for humans”.

Froome’s VO2 Max — which measures an ability to absorb oxygen through the lungs and is widely regarded as an indicator of athletic ability — was measured at 84.6 millilitres per kilo of body weight. His VO2 Max was estimated 88.2 for his Tour de France weight of 67kg — a high but acceptable number that supports the figures released by Team Sky.

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