39. Chris Froome's lab test

December 4 | In this week’s show Richard Moore and Lionel Birnie discuss Chris Froome’s test results, published in Esquire magazine on Friday.

It was in August that Froome went to the GSK Human Performance Laboratory in west London in response to the clamour for physiological data that followed his second Tour de France victory a few weeks earlier. Froome underwent a Vo2 max test as well as sub-maximal and body composition tests, all of which help to fill in some of the blanks in the picture of Froome the athlete.

Perhaps even more interesting, however, is the surfacing of a report from his only previous visit to a laboratory, in July 2007, when he was a raw 22-year-old member of the World Cycling Centre. The results from the 2007 test helps answer a question concerning Froome – did he always have the potential to become a Grand Tour winner?

Richard was in the lab to witness Froome’s tests and discusses that experience as well as the findings. We also hear from Froome himself and from Jeroen Swart, one of the sports scientists who was there to oversee the tests and collect the data.

We also hear from Alex Dowsett, the Movistar pro and former Hour Record holder, and there’s an update on Richard and Lionel’s progress in their Trainer Road programmes, including some feedback from Coach Chad Timmerman.

The Telegraph Cycling Podcast is sponsored by Trainer Road