"In my team, no one will use Carbon Monoxide. I promise. Even if the 19 other teams do" - Marc Madiot stands firm on controversial debate

The topic of Carbon Monoxide and its controversial usage by some teams in the peloton has been a much-discussed subject in recent weeks. With calls to ban the method on the rise, Groupama - FDJ boss Marc Madiot has now committed to the fact his team will never use the controversial approach to perform gain.

We must be clear, that for the moment at least, there are no laws or regulations preventing the usage of carbon monoxide in the peloton. As mentioned though, the calls for the UCI and even the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA ed.) to ban the method are rising, with the MPCC (Movement for a Credible Cycling ed.), leading the charge. 

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"Today, 3 teams are reported to be using or to have used this equipment and I'm putting down a marker that from three teams, we're soon going to go up to 7, then 10, then 15, then 85% of the peloton will be using it," explains Groupama - FDJ boss Madiot to the show Les Grandes Gueules du Sport on RMC. "I don't intend to use it at all. What we need to do, and this is the message I've sent to the UCI president, is that the situation is simple: we're in a world where 25 teams make up 100% of the world calendar. The bosses have to commit, in writing, not to use this method, whether it's good or bad, we have to commit not to buy this equipment and not to use it."

"I'm telling you, in front of the audience, in my team, no one will use this equipment. I promise. Even if the 19 other teams do it, and I invite my team colleagues to have the same attitude," the experienced Frenchman continues. "If the 25 team leaders say ‘we're not using this method’, we won't use it. Obviously, if there wasn't the idea of increasing performance, we wouldn't have this attitude. It's clear that we have to say that we're not looking to find out how much contribution it will make to the riders, so it's stop, no, everyone has to commit to each other."

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