“Just because you don’t see that there is doping doesn’t mean it isn’t there” – Expert casts doubt over Tour de France
Cycling
Tadej Pogacar is back in yellow after his win on Stage 7 of
the Tour de France, and once again, questions are swirling about his performance.
With each dominant performance, suspicion follows. The sport’s doping-tainted
past remains fresh in the minds of fans and experts alike, and Pogacar’s recent
form is prompting renewed scrutiny.
But it’s no just about the world champion. The whole sport
appears to be on a level never seen before, and that is amplifying the reason
for doubt. Unfortunately, cycling is still paying the price for the doping riddled years in the 80s and 90s, when Lance Armstrong led a peloton where 99% of the riders were doping. To this day, fans and experts find it difficult to trust those within the sport due to the blemished history.
“It would be pretty naive to say no,” said Vest
Christiansen, a doping researcher at Aarhus University, when asked by B.T.
whether doping might still be part of the sport. “The problem is that we look
at indicators that are about wattage, speed, and how fast they drive up various
mountains. There they break records and are faster than when they took doping.”
Since 2023, Pogacar’s level has appeared to jump
significantly. Christiansen says such dramatic improvement raises questions,
even in an era with advanced training, nutrition, and equipment.
“It’s so crazy what Pogacar has done since 2023. It’s
understandable if elite athletes raise their level 1, 2 maybe 3%. But it seems
like he has raised his level 7, 8, 9 maybe even 10%. It’s amazing – to say the
least.”
While Christiansen believes the culture in professional
cycling has shifted since the darkest years of the sport, he’s cautious about
assuming the playing field is clean.
“Just because you don’t see that there is doping doesn’t
mean it isn’t there.”
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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