Do pen Tour-Stars with potentially lethal gas?
Whirl at the Tour de France: In the sport, which is repeatedly plagued by doping rumors, there is new reason for doubt. The top teams use carbon monoxide for performance measurement. The problem: The potentially lethal gas can also be used for doping.
The inhalation of potentially lethal carbon monoxide causes discussions at the Tour de France. Top stars Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard have admitted to using the gas for performance measurement. In this method, a test is made with a so-called carbon monoxide rebreathing device before and after a high altitude training camp to measure the success of the camp. According to the regulations of the World Anti-Doping Agency, this is not forbidden.
The web magazine "Escape Collective" discovered that this method is used by teams UAE, Visma, and Israel-Premier Tech - all three teams confirmed this. The German team Red Bull confirmed to Sportschau that they do not have such a device or use one.
Pogacar confused and plays it down
What makes the carbon monoxide situation suspicious are two points: On the one hand, 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 increase because more oxygen can be transported in the blood.
For the second suspicious moment, it was Pogacar himself. He denied having heard of 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, the Slovenian rode back and attributed an understanding error.
Pogacar explained exactly how the test works. He had done it once before a high altitude camp. According to him, there was no repetition. "The woman who should have done it just didn't show up again," said Pogacar. It was just a simple test. Vingegaard's Visma team stated that they have been working with Norwegian professor Bent Roennestad for years and only use the method in his presence.
The controversial use of carbon monoxide in performance measurement has led to questions about the integrity of the Tour de France, with stars like Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard admitting to using it. Despite the World Anti-Doping Agency's rules allowing its use, some teams, including UAE, Visma, and Israel-Premier Tech, have been accused of using it for doping purposes. The situation becomes even more suspicious when top performers like Pogacar claim unawareness of the practice.
