Tour de France - Carbon Monoxide Method on the Tour: Measuring or Doping?
The inhalation of potentially lethal Carbon Monoxide causes discussions during the Tour de France. Top-Stars Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard have admitted to using the gas for performance measurement. The method involves making a test with a so-called Carbon Monoxide-Rebreathing Device before and after a high-altitude training camp to measure the camp's success. According to the regulations of the World Anti-Doping Agency, this is not prohibited.
The web magazine "Escape Collective" discovered that the method is used by teams UAE, Visma, and Israel-Premier Tech - all three teams admitted to this. The German team Red Bull confirmed to the Sportschau that they do not possess or use such a device.
Pogacar's statements surprise
What makes the situation with Carbon Monoxide suspicious are two points: Firstly, the same technical devices can be used for the Inhalation method instead of the Rebreathing method. According to studies, this can lead to a performance boost because more oxygen can be transported in the blood.
For the second suspicious moment, Pogacar himself is responsible. He denied knowing anything about it when confronted with it during the final week of the Tour. "I thought it only came from the exhaust. But maybe I'm not educated enough," said the 25-year-old. The next day, Pogacar clarified his mistake and attributed it to a misunderstanding.
Pogacar explained exactly how the test works. He had done it once before a high-altitude camp. According to him, there was no repeat. "The woman who was supposed to do it just didn't show up," said Pogacar. It was just a simple test. Vingegaard's Visma team stated that they have been working with the Norwegian professor Bent Rønnestad for years and only use the method in his presence.
- Despite the controversy surrounding Carbon Monoxide inhalation during the Tour de France, Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard believe that using a Carbon Monoxide-Rebreathing Device for performance measurement is not prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency.
- German team Red Bull, on the other hand, confirmed to the Sportschau that they do not possess or use such a device.
- The use of this method for performance enhancement is not uncommon in cycling, with teams UAE, Visma, and Israel-Premier Tech also admitting to employing it.
- The method, which involves a test with a Carbon Monoxide-Rebreathing Device before and after a high-altitude training camp, can potentially boost performance by enabling more oxygen to be transported in the blood.
- Tadej Pogacar's initial denial of knowing anything about the method during the final week of the Tour de France added a layer of suspicion to the situation, but he later clarified that his misunderstanding stemmed from believing Carbon Monoxide came only from exhaust fumes.
