Danish superstar Jonas Vingegaard was apparently mistranslated by the French paper Le Monde, according to Visma – Lease a Bike. The French outlet quoted him as saying that they inhale it once before altitude camp. After the camp, they do it again to measure their maximum capacity to inhale oxygen. However, the piece also said that he said, “But teams divert its usage by inhaling frequent microdoses of carbon monoxide, which significantly enhances the performance of some riders. Vingegaard said, ‘It is not fair and WADA should ban it.’”
In November, the topic of carbon monoxide resurfaced when the UCI 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.
The question of carbon monoxide
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.
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 on Nov. 29. “If the technique is being misused to improve performance, I understand the decision to ban it.”
Vingegaard downplayed usage
Vingegaard then downplayed the possibility of using it and said he would follow whatever the UCI suggested.
“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 say about this,” Vingegaard confirmed. “So if they ban it, yes of course, I will never do it again.”
Visma – Lease a Bike: “Clearly a misintrepration”
Danish outlet Ekstra Bladet spoke to Visma – Lease a Bike’s press officer, Sander Kleikers. “It is clearly a misinterpretation and confusion between languages. He has never said that. Jonas is…
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