As soon as we talk about products in cycling, it can quickly become a subject of controversy in the heart of the peloton…
Lance Armstrong, Alberto Contador, Marco Pantani, Jan Ullrich or Richard Virenque… In the history of cycling, the list of riders who have been confused or admitted to being doped is long. So much so that doping is a recurring subject, an Arles woman whose cycling is struggling to get rid of. Associated with this characteristic cheat mode for years now, the bike has been permanently dirty, even if from edition to edition, the Tour de France always claims to be “cleaner”.
Physical preparation, recovery, anti-craving or “booster” product, but also drugs against injuries or pathologies, the products and supplements administered to athletes have nevertheless become essential, without being illegal. But they still attract suspicion. And as soon as one of these solutions is publicly mentioned, the canvas ignites.
Recently, tramadol has come back into the discussion. A codeine analgesic that has been placed under surveillance by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) since 2012, without being formally banned by this body.
The painkiller, which is taken through tablets, is however banned from the world of cycling. Nairo Quintana (Arkéa-Samsic) himself paid the price during the last Tour de France, after testing positive twice. If tramadol is not on the list of prohibited products by WADA, the Colombian rider had been sanctioned by the UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) and excluded from the general classification. For what ? The UCI banned tramadol from all cycling competitions in 2019, considering that the addictive potential of the product was not compatible with cycling and that the side effects (including the risk of drowsiness) increased the risk of falling.
However, there is a real vagueness around this drug. Because by sanctioning Quintana, the UCI had specified that it was not a question of “violations of the anti-doping rules”, but indeed “violations of the medical regulations” specific to cycling. The Colombian has since had his appeal dismissed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) late last year.
In France, tramadol is said to be used by millions of people. In 2017, it was estimated that there was a usage rate of 11.7 daily doses per 1000 inhabitants.
