PARIS (AP) — Jonas Vingegaard, the two-time Tour de France champion, has urged for the prohibition of the contentious carbon monoxide rebreathing technique utilized by athletes to gauge their performances. Speaking with Le Monde newspaper, the Visma-Lease a Bike rider expressed in an interview published on Saturday that while his team employs the method correctly, some riders exploit it to artificially enhance their performances. The utilization of carbon monoxide came under scrutiny during the Tour de France last year when the cycling website Escape Collective disclosed that riders from various teams were inhaling the toxic gas to optimize altitude training. The gas can serve as a tracer for monitoring the diffusion of oxygen in the lungs or the total mass of hemoglobin, a critical blood value for cyclists.
Vingegaard elucidated, “My team employs carbon monoxide to assess blood volume and total hemoglobin mass. We inhale the monoxide initially, prior to undertaking a training session at altitude. Following the session, the process is repeated to determine one’s maximum oxygen absorption capacity.” However, Vingegaard highlighted that there are individuals misusing the technique to cheat “by regularly inhaling low doses of carbon monoxide, resulting in a substantial performance boost.” “This is unethical and ought to be outlawed by the World Anti-Doping Agency,” he emphasized.
The UCI, the governing body for cycling, announced in December that a potential ban on medical grounds will be deliberated by its management committee during a meeting in France scheduled from January 31 to February 1. The UCI underscored that inhaling the gas repeatedly in non-medical contexts could lead to side effects such as “headaches, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, chest pain, breathing difficulties, and even loss of consciousness.”
In the course of the interview, Vingegaard was quizzed about the achievements of his rival Tadej Pogacar — who clinched victory in the Giro, the Tour de France, and the road world championships in 2024 — completing the revered “triple crown” of cycling, in addition to other prestigious one-day races. “I comprehend the skepticism surrounding his performances, but he has established new benchmarks that we now need to aspire to,” Vingegaard remarked. “He is currently the preeminent cyclist in the world. Nonetheless, the disparity between us is not insurmountable. I could have given him a challenge during the Tour.” Vingegaard secured second place in the Tour last year, trailing over six minutes behind Pogacar. However, his preparations for cycling’s premier event were severely disrupted by a crash that resulted in a broken collarbone, ribs, and a collapsed lung.
“I likely would have fared better in the Tour if not for the curtailed preparation following my accident, which had significant physical and psychological repercussions,” Vingegaard reflected. “Every detail is crucial in winning the Grande Boucle, and I am
