This is the subject that has caused a lot of discussion in the peloton for several months: the use of carbon monoxide which, used in a roundabout way, improves the performance of cyclists in the pro peloton.
Some of them are campaigning to have it banned and Jonas Vingegaard is one of them, as the Dane confided during an interview for Le Monde. “Some teams divert its use by regularly inhaling low doses of carbon monoxide, which causes a significant improvement in the performance of their riders. It’s not fair and the World Anti-Doping Agency should ban it,” confides the two-time winner of the Tour de France (2022 and 2023).
Probably banned soon
The runner-up to Tadej Pogacar on the last Grande Boucle recognizes that his Visma-Lease a bike team also uses carbon monoxide… but in different circumstances. “It’s to measure blood volume and total hemoglobin mass. We inhale the monoxide for the first time, before carrying out a course at altitude. At the end of this, we repeat the operation to calculate our maximum oxygen absorption capacity. »
-For its part, the UCI (International Cycling Union) wants to ban the use of carbon monoxide outside a “medical environment”. This should be validated by the steering committee of the body meeting on January 31 and February 1.
France
Cycling
