Tour de France: Chris Froome to undergo physiological testing
Team Sky rider wants to prove he is winning clean
Last Updated: 15/07/15 11:02am
Chris Froome plans to undergo independent physiological testing after the Tour de France in an effort to prove he is not doping.
Froome emphatically won stage 10 on Tuesday to extend his overall advantage over nearest rival Tejay van Garderen (BMC Racing) from 12 seconds to almost three minutes.
The 30-year-old Team Sky leader's fifth Tour stage win of his career was followed by an inquisition, however, with the cycling public sceptical after years of drug cheats winning the Tour.
It is understood that Froome plans to allow independent doctors to examine him between the Tour's finish and the year's third grand tour, the Vuelta a Espana, which begins on August 22, to determine what makes him such an exceptional athlete.
Froome said: "What haven't I done? I've tried to be as much as a spokesman as I can for clean cycling.
"I've spoken to the CIRC [Cycling Independent Reform Commission], I've made suggestions to the governing body to implement things like night-time testing. I've pointed out when I've felt there hasn't been enough testing, in places like Tenerife. What else is a clean rider supposed to do?
"It doesn't make me angry. It would be a different story if I had something to hide. I know I'm a clean rider. I know I've worked extremely hard to be in this position. I'm really proud of that.
"I do understand where the questions are coming from, the history of the sport and the people before me who have won the Tour. I am sympathetic, but at the same time there needs to be a certain level of respect also.
"I've worked extremely hard to get here. I'm not going to let anyone take that away from me."
Sceptics use power data to justify their argument, but Froome said that is "nuts" as it does not account for many variables.
Team Sky principal Dave Brailsford expressed his concern on Monday that his team had been the victims of computer hacking by critics. He said: "It's part of the game, isn't it? If he does well, the rest of the Tour, it's, 'How do you know he's not doping?'
"The question of how to prove a negative is always going to be a difficult one. We think someone has hacked into our training data."
Froome faced innuendo and allegations over his performances in winning the 2013 Tour and the result gave his critics further ammunition, although Froome has always denied doping and wonders what more he can do to prove he is racing clean.
Van Garderen is two minutes 52 seconds behind in second, ahead of Movistar riders Nairo Quintana and Alejandro Valverde, with Geraint Thomas (Team Sky) fifth.
Wednesday's 188km 11th stage is the second in the Pyrenees, from Pau to Cauterets.
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