Tour-Stars experiment 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. 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 success of the camp. According to the regulations of the World Anti-Doping Agency, this is not prohibited.
The web magazine "Escape Collective" discovered that this 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 German sports show "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 knowing anything about it when confronted with it during the final week of the Tour. "I always thought it only came from the exhaust. But maybe I'm not educated enough," said the 25-year-old. The next day, Pogacar retracted and explained 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 repetition. "The woman who was supposed to do 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.
Despite Tadej Pogacar's initial denial, he later clarified his involvement in the carbon monoxide testing, admitting to having undergone the test once prior to a high altitude training camp. Jonas Vingegaard's team, Visma, also uses this method, but only in collaboration with Norwegian professor Bent Roennestad. Amidst the ongoing Doping scrutiny in cycling's major event, the Tour de France, Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar's participation in the carbon monoxide testing has added a new layer of controversy to the sport.
