The MPCC is delighted that the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) has reacted to the alarming issue of carbon monoxide inhalation by some riders, in agreement with their respective teams. However, the movement deplores the slowness of the World Anti-Doping Agency’s procedures, even when athletes’ health is at risk.
In a press release published on Tuesday, the UCI ‘clearly asks teams and riders not to use repeatedly carbon monoxide inhalation’, while making an official request to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) ‘to take a position on the use of this method by athletes’.
Less than a month ago, at its General Assembly, our movement (1) alerted the public and our sport’s governing bodies to its concern about the recent widespread use of a potentially lethal gas by inhalation. The MPCC also sent a letter to WADA dated 18/11/2024, to which there has been no response to date. Without waiting, we “strongly advise against the use of this technique, pending its prohibition”.
The MPCC also regrets that its letter of 12/06/2024 alerting to the use of Tapentadol (a painkiller reputed to be more powerful than Tramadol), and calling for it to be banned, did not receive a clear response from WADA either, even though this drug has been included in its ‘monitoring programme’.
We would like to highlight two regrettable precedents :
– It took more than 10 years to convince WADA to include Tramadol on the list of banned products, even though doctors from MPCC member teams had undertaken to stop prescribing it to their riders from 2013.
– Since 2019, the MPCC has been calling for a clear position from WADA on the effects of ketones in sport. Five years later, we are still at the same point, since WADA refuses to give an opinion until a scientific study has been made public. This scientific publication, also required by the UCI, is not expected before the end of next year, at the earliest.
The MPCC Board believes that in the context of such reckless behaviour as the repeated use of a toxic gas or a powerful opioid, WADA should invoke an emergency procedure to enforce the precautionary principle when a potentially dangerous practice or drug emerges.
The MPCC also warns riders to the fact that a substance that is not on the list of banned products is not a sufficient reason for riders and their teams to allow themselves to use it.
More generally, the MPCC deplores the development of these ‘grey areas’ in medicinal practices and encourages all governing bodies to create a favourable framework to limit the medicalisation of our sport to the strict minimum.
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(1) The MPCC represents 23 of the 35 men’s professional teams (World Teams and Pro Teams), and 4 of the 15 women’s teams (World Teams).
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