Are legal drugs and supplements replacing doping in pro cycling?
In the 12 years since Lance Armstrong’s life ban for doping rocked the sporting world and transformed the hero of a cancer survivor into one of cycling’s most infamous figures, the figure of the game has been changed a lot. However, recent spectacular performances by riders such as Tadej Pogačar, who broke Armstrong’s record at Pla d’Adet, have raised doubts.
There is no arguing that the level of cycling has risen since the EPO-fuelled era of the 1990s and 2000s, when Mathieu van der Poel broke the speed records at Paris-Roubaix and the Poggio climb record during of Milan-San Remo and Pogačar breaks Marco Pantani’s record for climbing the Plateau de Beille.
Radio France published a report on Friday that focused on the methods that riders use to boost their performance and found nothing responsible for the increased speed.
Research has suggested that some riders may use legal painkillers, supplements such as ketones, asthma drugs and small doses of illegal substances. It concluded that the tendency to “load riders with drugs” could be lowering the barriers to anti-doping offences.
Two medicinal cocktails served in certain groups are reportedly called ‘Bomba’ and ‘Magic Box’.
Radio France spoke to athletes, team managers and anti-doping authorities, and found that many athletes are being given many types of drugs that are not on the list of banned substances by WADA, such as the Voltaren compound ( non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug), caffeine and paracetamol or, according to one rider, a combination of paracetamol, caffeine, bronchodilator theophylline and a muscle relaxant called thiocolchicoside.
“The passengers who wanted it helped themselves. It bothered me, it’s not my idea,” said the unidentified passenger. “In any case, it’s not because some people are climbing transit three times faster than 20 years ago!”
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A separate report this year by Le Temps raised concerns about the possible use of the opioid painkiller Tapentadol in the peloton.
Jean-Pierre Verdy, the former head of France’s Anti-Doping Agency, said that drug mixing is the equivalent of legal doping.
“All the drugs that relieve pain, that allow you to relax, to eliminate cramps, to recover quickly… All these approved products, combined, become doping,” Verdy said to Radio France.
Passengers can also use illegal drugs using the Therapeutic Use Exemption. The above practice however can be used to bend the rules to allow the use of other performance enhancers with impunity.
“I noticed that 80% of the riders in the peloton were asthmatic and with their TUE, they can take Ventolin. But Ventolin, taken in high doses, is anabolic,” Verdy said.
The French Cycling Federation’s executive director, Emmanuel Brunet, is concerned that drug abuse could spark an arms race that could return cycling to its drug-dominated past.
“This is a matter of great concern to us,” Brunet said. “One of the most damaging side effects is starting to see the same thing among young people. We know that reducing drugs in the past helped doping in the last two decades.”
Riders continue to be under pressure to work in order to keep their jobs, a situation exacerbated by the UCI’s promotion/demotion scheme. Points equate to WorldTour status and entry into the Tour de France, which is important for sponsors and key to the teams’ future.
The use of ketone and carbon monoxide rebreathers adds another dimension to the conversation. Ketones are thought to improve recovery but can also increase the body’s production of EPO, as can happen with carbon monoxide inhalation. Both of these methods can be expensive and the health risk to athletes using them is unknown.
A report by Radio France states that the use of ketones continues even in teams that are part of the Movement for Credible Cycling (MPCC), which advises against their use, such as the UCI, which has launched an investigation into the supplement in 2021.
“Like the UCI, the MPCC has been asking riders and teams from the beginning not to use ketone bodies until the research sent by the UCI is known,” said association president Roger Legeay. Cyclingnews.
“This is a precautionary principle because we don’t know if there is an improvement in performance and what the short-term and long-term effects are.
“We should know the answer and recommendations by the end of next year.”
The MPCC successfully petitioned for Tramadol to be added to the banned list but, without monitoring the use of ketones, a similar campaign against ketones would be difficult.
“Until now, ketone bodies are not banned by WADA, which has no intention of registering them unless more information is provided about their risk and performance improvement,” Legeay said. “Unlike corticosteroids and tramadol, there is currently no way to detect ketone use.”
The UCI downplayed the effects that could improve the performance of carbon monoxide rebreathers, telling Radio France, “scientific facts do not allow us to present the effects of carbon monoxide in the process, greater than those seen after training at high altitude”, while WADA said they are “looking carefully at the excessive use of this device”.
Apart from these legal options, improved materials with more aerodynamic bikes and clothing can account for some of the increased speed, but Brunet still sees a gap to explain the high performance of riders like Pogačar.
“Among the World Tour teams, everyone has the same type of tire, bike or clothing. Almost everything is made in the same place. If there is there is a difference, maybe it can come from genetics”, but, he added: “we did not notice it when they were riding in the categories of youth and espoir”.
Pogačar dispelled doubts after closing his incredible 2024 season with a fourth victory in Il Lombardia, saying, “Cycling is a sport where in the past people did their best In their bodies, to be better, not knowing what it does to your health, and they were risking their lives…
“Now we realize that cycling is a very dangerous sport. Like the risk of your heart, you can’t push it beyond the limit, you need to stay healthy. And if you want to put the life of your at risk for a 10-year career, it’s good. waste of your life and it would be stupid.”
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