A new investigation by Radio France has reignited debate over ketone use in cycling, as more teams and riders turn to the substance for a performance edge. While ketones are legal under current regulations from the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and marketed as dietary supplements, studies suggest they might boost endurance, mental focus, and recovery similarly to erythropoietin (EPO).
Incredible performances result in questions being asked
Suspicion lingers around top riders like Tadej Pogačar, who was recently questioned about doping after some of his incredible performances in 2024. While Tour director Christian Prudhomme said such concerns “are not illegitimate,” he acknowledged Pogačar’s style resembles that of Eddy Merckx and Bernard Hinault. “We’re seeing riders who want to win everything,” Prudhomme said. “It’s what Hinault has said cycling needs.” Prudhomme reinforced that independent doping checks, conducted with the International Testing Agency (ITA), are now the norm. Responding to the comments, Pogačar said, “It’s like throwing away your life; I don’t want to risk getting sick.”
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Despite benefits claimed by ketone manufacturers, both WADA and the UCI advise against ketone use, though neither plans a ban. “Ketones can help with weight loss and strength ratio but no more than dieting,” Olivier Rabin, WADA’s Director of Science and Medicine, said. The UCI, meanwhile, awaits results from an ongoing study launched in 2021.
The question of ketones
Visma – Lease a Bike has been open about its controlled ketone use. French teams, such as Decathlon AG2R, Groupama-FDJ, and Cofidis, monitor individual use, though many are members of the Movement for Credible Cycling (MPCC), which advises against ketones. An AG2R rider anonymously shared concerns after being offered ketones by a team doctor: “The manager knew. To me, that’s doping,” he said.
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Within the peloton, doubts persist. “There was the before and after COVID-19. The level has really increased,” Warren Barguil said to Ouest France. “Sometimes you have to be 100 per cent just to try to keep up.”
The debate goes beyond ketones, with Rabin cautioning that cycling isn’t necessarily “100 per cent clean.” “Pharmacology and human nature being what they are, it…
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