LargusMeans said:Maybe you should read the whole article before posting. The numbers have been questioned by a few now that they are not correct and are OVER inflated. Thats basicly what the second half of the article says, so try reading the whole picture instead of just half.
"Taking everything into consideration, I'd say that a more reasonable estimate of Contador's power during that ascent is about 450 W, which would require a sustained VO2 of 'only' 80 mL/kg/min. That is still quite high, but not so high that you can definitively state that it can only be achieved via doping."
A sustained VO2 of 80mL/kg/min for 450W? It's interesting to note that Dr. Ferrari estimated his power output at only 417W, so perhaps it required a sustained VO2 lower than that.
You also have to ask at what percentage of VO2 can Contador ride for extended periods of time? Apparently Derek Clayton - former Marathon World Best - could run at something like 95% VO2max for a full marathon. Vayer makes many assumptions beyond the air density, aerodynamic drag, etc. He assumes that Contador is only capable of holding 90% VO2Max for 20'55". Maybe he's one of those freaks of nature who can hold 95% VO2Max for extended periods of time?
I'm pretty envious of these guys. Depending on how I feel, I can only manage about 80% Vo2max for 20 minutes.