Carbon monoxide gadget banned from cycling

A ban on a controversial carbon monoxide breathing method used by some top riders including Tour de France champion Tadej Pogacar is to be banned this month, the sport’s governing body said Saturday.

“It will be banned as of February 10 in order to protect the health of our athletes,” the International Cycling Union announced.

The method is thought to boost red blood cells and endurance.

The initiative marks a further step by cycling chiefs to outlaw the technique after asking the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) at the end of November to “take a position” on the matter.

“Carbon monoxide is a toxic, odourless gas that is often a cause of household accidents,” the UCI observed in a statement in December. 

“Inhaled in low doses and under strict safety conditions, the gas is used in medicine as a tracer to measure the pulmonary diffusion of oxygen or of the total haemoglobin mass. 

“However, when inhaled repeatedly in non-medical conditions, it can cause side effects such as headaches, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, chest pain, breathing difficulties, and even loss of consciousness.”

The use of the potentially lethal gas by at least three teams was revealed last summer during the Tour de France by the specialist cycling website Escape Collective. 

Among these teams are Israel PT, Pogacar’s UAE Team and Jonas Vingegaard’s Visma.