Missed it due to the Cyclo-Cross World Championships? UCI quickly responds to Vingegaard and bans controversial gas inhalation

The UCI has wasted no time in cracking down on the use of carbon monoxide inhalation, announcing an official ban on the practice. The decision was revealed on Saturday afternoon, conveniently timed with the Cyclo-Cross World Championships, and came after growing concerns over the method’s safety and fairness in the sport.

The use of carbon monoxide has been a hot topic in cycling for several months. Teams and riders have been inhaling the gas, despite uncertainty from both the UCI and anti-doping organizations about its short- and long-term health effects. The UCI had already spoken out strongly against carbon monoxide usage several months ago.

"The UCI clearly asks teams and riders not to use repeated CO inhalation. Only the medical use of a single inhalation of CO in a controlled medical environment could be acceptable," the organization stated at the time. "The UCI is also officially requesting the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to take a position on the use of this method by athletes."

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UCI boss David Lappartient

Vingegaard pushes UCI to take action

Teams belonging to the MPCC (Mouvement pour un Cyclisme Crédible) had already publicly opposed the use of carbon monoxide. Groupama-FDJ boss Marc Madiot was therefore surprised when Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike) publicly called for a ban. "This is very good, and I want to congratulate him. It’s rare for a rider of his level to take such a credible stance on this issue," Madiot said.

Vingegaard had stated in an interview that he believed the controversial gas inhalation should be banned, even though his own team, Visma | Lease a Bike, had used it. "My team uses carbon monoxide to measure blood volume and hemoglobin mass. We inhale the carbon monoxide for the first time before a high-altitude training camp. At the end, we repeat the process to calculate our maximum oxygen uptake capacity," he explained.

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Jonas Vingegaard

UCI officially bans carbon monoxide inhalation

On Saturday, February 1, the UCI officially announced its decision following a meeting during the Cyclo-Cross World Championships in Liévin, France. "To protect the health of riders, the UCI Management Committee approved a ban on the repeated inhalation of carbon monoxide (CO). The ban will come into force on 10 February 2025."

The UCI emphasized the health risks associated with repeated inhalation. "It can result in acute and chronic health problems," the organization stated after reviewing scientific findings. "The new regulation forbids the possession, outside a medical facility, of commercially available CO re-breathing systems connected to oxygen and CO cylinders. This ban applies to all licence-holders, teams and/or bodies subject to the UCI Regulations and to anyone else who might possess such equipment on behalf of riders or teams."

However, CO inhalation will still be permitted with a medical certificate, "within a medical facility and under the responsibility of a medical professional experienced in the manipulation of this gas for medical reasons." The UCI further specified that only one inhalation would be allowed at a time, with a required two-week gap before a second inhalation. Although carbon monoxide is not yet classified as a banned doping substance, an official request has been submitted to WADA to review its status.

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