Tadej Pogacar also admitted to using the device to measure performance. © APA/afp / THOMAS SAMSON

Measurement or doping? Carbon monoxide method hotly debated

The possible inhalation of carbon monoxide with a so-called rebreathing device is causing discussions at the Tour de France.

July 20, 2024

From: dpa/sn

Top stars Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard have admitted to using the device to measure performance after training camps. This is not prohibited under the World Anti-Doping Agency's regulations.

The web magazine "Escape Collective" revealed that the method is used by the UAE, Visma and Israel-Premier Tech teams - all three teams admitted this. There are two points that make the carbon monoxide issue suspect: Firstly, the same technical equipment can be used to use the inhalation method instead of the rebreathing method. According to studies, this can lead to an increase in performance because more oxygen can be transported via the blood.

“But maybe I’m too uneducated”

The second suspicious moment was caused by Pogacar himself. He denied ever having heard of it when he was confronted with it in the final week of the Tour. "I always thought it only came from the exhaust. But maybe I'm too uneducated," said the 25-year-old. The next day, the Slovenian backtracked and said he had misunderstood it.

Pogacar explained quite precisely how the test works. He did it once before a high-altitude camp. Apparently it was never repeated. "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 said they had been working with Norwegian professor Bent Rønnestad for years and only used the method in his presence.
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