The UCI is asking the World Anti・Doping Agency (WADA) to take a position on the use of carbon monoxide (CO) by professional cycling teams after it was revealed that some teams used carbon monoxide (CO) to optimize their advanced training during the Tour de France.

At the Board's annual seminar in Nice, France, the UCI also warned the team about the dangers of carbon monoxide inhalation and asked riders and teams not to use "repeated inhalation" of deadly gases.

Escape Collective was the first to announce the use of CO in professional peloton, with teams such as Visma-Lease A Bike, UAE Team Emirates and Israel-Premier Tech using carbon monoxide rebreathers to measure blood values and maximize profits from altitude camps.

Headline stars Tadej Pogañar and Jonas Vingegaard also reporting that they are not banned by WADA. I made sure I knew the re-breathing apparatus and used it at least partially. 

Inhalation is a completely different method than re-breathing, the former can lead to an increase in aerobic performance, such as VO2max, and the latter is a measurement tool that helps maximize the physiological benefits of advanced training. 

The initial findings from Escape Collective confirmed that "there is no solid evidence that WorldTeams is currently using CO inhalation to improve performance" as of its publication on May 7.

"Seminar participants got up-to-date information on their current knowledge of the performance effects of repeated inhalation of carbon monoxide (CO)," reads a UCI press release. 

"The UCI is clearly asking the team and riders not to use repeated CO inhalations. Only the medical use of single inhalation of CO in a controlled medical environment may be acceptable. 

"The UCI also formally requests the World Anti・Doping Agency (WADA) to take a position on the use of this method by athletes.

Pogañar described the use of rebreather, which was confirmed as "a very simple test to see how he reacts to advanced training" when speaking on tour, and Vingegaard agreed, speaking to the Danish newspaper Politiken, that "there is nothing suspicious about it."

Another important group, the Exercise for Reliable Cycling (MPCC), recently prompted a response from Detalo Health, the company behind rebreathers used by several WorldTour teams, calling for techniques that should not be practiced.

"Due to health risks (potentially fatal), complex and artificial technical aspects (misuse of technical and therapeutic means to artificially create physiological changes), and the enforcement of the world anti-doping code, the MPCC can only strongly advise against the use of this technology...Until it is banned," read the MPCC press release.

"I fully agree that the use of carbon monoxide inhalation for the purpose of increasing hemoglobin levels should be advised. It should be obvious. And we have already said this many times," Carstenlundby, CEO of Detalo Health, told Cyclingnews in response.

"The use of carbon monoxide as a medical diagnostic tool, of course, is not about improving performance, but rather a completely different intent as a diagnostic tool. And it, of course, should not be banned, or should not be banned. Therefore, there is a need for a clear and clear treatment between 2.

"I am very opposed to carbon monoxide inhalation with the intention of improving performance. I think it's against the spirit of the sport. I don't want my kids to inhale toxic gases to become world champions."

Speaking at the beginning of the 11th month, Lundby also confirmed that Detalo plans to continue working with the WorldTour team in 2025.