Weight loss key to Froome transformation into Grand Tour winner as Briton releases physiological data

Chris Froome has released physiological data in a bid to convince critics he is clean ©Getty Images

Britain’s Chris Froome has released physiological data in an effort to convince doubters he won both his Tour de France titles as a clean rider.

The 30-year-old was subject to scrutiny throughout the duration of the 2015 edition of the race with former rider Laurent Jalabert, who has been accused of using the blood booster Erythropoietin (EPO) during his career, among several critics to question whether Froome was doping with the Frenchman describing his performances as “verging on the ridiculous".

Following the remarks, Froome claimed he had been spat at and had urine thrown at him during a later stage of the race, while his Australian team-mate Richie Porte stated he had been punched by a fan during another stage.

Team Sky opted to release their lead riders performance data, recorded during Froome’s dominant victory on stage 10 of the race, to reduce speculation regarding his level of performance, while the Briton confirmed he would undergo testing following the race before releasing more information.

Conducted in the GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Human Performance Lab (HPL), with the results published by Esquire, the tests focused on determining the Kenyan-born rider’s threshold power and VO2 max, the maximum volume of oxygen an athlete can use, which are viewed as key physical qualities needed to challenge for Grand Tours.

His peak power during the test was measured at 525 watts with a sustained power of 419, translated to 5.98 watts-per-kilogram at his test weight and scaled up to 6.25w/kg at his weight during the Tour de France.

Jeroen Swart, a scientist from the University of Cape Town, claimed afterwards that “I’ve seen a value of 5.8w/kg being spoken of as the upper limit of human performance for a 40 minute effort, but 6.2w/kg is definitely doable for Chris for 20 minutes if not longer.”

Meanwhile, his VO2 Max was measured at a score of 84.6 milliliters-per-kilogram-per-minute which when scaled to his Tour de France weight, around three kilograms less than he was weighed at for the tests, would be around 88.2.

Weight loss is seen as key to his transformation into a Grand Tour winner, with the Briton showing high power in 2007 indicating his potential ©Esquire

The data supported the data released by Team Sky during the Tour de France, in addition to previous figures taken at the International Cycling Union’s (UCI) World Cycling Centre in 2007.

Froome's VO2 Max values were described by GSK HLP's senior scientist Dr Phillip Bell as "close to what we believe are the upper limits for humans".

One of the key differences is the Briton’s weight, measured at 75.6kg in 2007 and 67kg in 2015, with the loss boosting his ability to climb mountains and seeing his power-to-weight ratio boosted.

The change is viewed as a contributing factor for the Briton’s transformation from a rider, believed to be on the verge of losing his contract with Sky in 2011, into a two-time Grand Tour winner four-years later.

“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,” Froome said following the release.

“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.”

Despite the release the data may not prove enough to convince critics including former cyclist Laurent Jalabert ©Getty Images

The Briton, who has previously claimed to have suffered with the parasite condition bilharzia prior to his breakthrough, also released biological passport blood tests from July 13 and August 20.

The first show his haemoglobin level at 15.3 grams per litre, with 0.72 per cent of his red blood cells being reticulocytes – cells produced to meet the body’s needs, while the second was measured 15.3 with a count of 0.96.

The figures produced off-scores of 102.1 and 94.21 respectively, which would not indicate blood manipulation in a test.

Despite the release of data, it remains unlikely to quell suspicion of the Briton’s performances following the confession of former seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong in 2013 and widespread erythropoietin (EPO) use in the 1990s.

"I don't think [releasing his data] is going to change perceptions or what people think but at the same time that's what people have called for and he's done it,” Froome's former team-mate Sir Bradley Wiggins, winner of the 2012 Tour de France, told the BBC prior to the release of the data.

"I don't think it's going to change anything but it's a small step maybe."

To read the full article in Esquire magazine click here.