Multiple Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard (Hansen) recently addressed the issue of carbon monoxide use, saying he was unaware that it could be misused.
The UCI has urged the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to address the use of carbon monoxide inhalation, following Escape Collective‘s article that the practice was widespread among top teams at the Tour de France.
A carbon monoxide (CO) rebreather is used in sports to simulate the effects of altitude training by briefly exposing athletes to controlled amounts of carbon monoxide.
UCI warns of overuse
The UCI has also urged teams and riders to avoid the “repeated use” of the method, citing its performance-enhancing potential and the inhalation of a toxic gas as reasons for concern.
“We only used it at Visma-Lease a Bike to test whether our altitude training camps were effective or not,” Vingegaard told TV2. during his team’s media day. “If the technique is being misused to improve performance, I understand the decision to ban it.”
The same as one cigarette
When asked about health risks, Vingegaard appeared to laugh them off.
“Inhaling carbon monoxide is equivalent to smoking one cigarette. Many people smoke multiple cigarettes a day,” he said. “I’m not afraid of one cigarette. Not that I’ve ever smoked a cigarette myself. But beyond that, I prefer not to take a position on this issue.”
He explained that the method could potentially replace an altitude camp if misused. Which might lead to health risks, but emphasized that this was not how his team had been using it.
“Of course, I will follow what the UCI and WADA says about this,” Vingegaard confirmed. “So if they ban it, yes of course, I will never do it again.”
Peter Møller Christensen, a Team Denmark physiologist specializing in heat and altitude training, cautioned in July about the risks of carbon monoxide.
“Excessive CO exposure can be fatal, as it binds strongly to red blood cells, causing suffocation if uncontrolled,” he said. He also acknowledged that blood volume measurements are safe when conducted by trained professionals, as they’ve been used for years in research and clinical settings. However, he warned that daily use of CO as a substitute for altitude training could be dangerous and potentially fatal.
Vingegaard was also asked about his upcoming season, saying he is still considering doing his first Tour of Italy.
“The Giro is always an option. It also was last year. I mean, of course,…
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