“To confirm he is doped, some rely on… his bleached blonde hair!” – Doctor hits back at bizarre Tadej Pogacar theory
Cycling
Tadej Pogacar’s new look continues to spark debate on social media. After another dominant performance at Strade Bianche, the Slovenian once again found himself at the centre of attention, not only because of his performance on the road but also because of his bleached hair. Across digital platforms, comments and theories have emerged linking the aesthetic change to alleged doping practices, an idea that experts consider completely unfounded.
The discussion has gained traction largely because of cycling’s past. In previous eras, riders such as Richard Virenque and Riccardo Ricco adopted a similar look, which helped fuel the belief among some fans that bleaching hair could disguise traces of banned substances in hair testing. The coincidence between that style and some of the sport’s most controversial periods helped cement the theory among more sceptical followers.
Doctor rejects claims linking Pogacar’s hair to doping
However, from a scientific perspective there is no evidence to support that suspicion. Speaking to Sports.fr in comments reported by A Bola, sports doctor and doping specialist Jean-Pierre de Mondenard firmly rejected the idea.
“The domination of Tadej Pogacar at Strade Bianche, in the classics and in the Tour de France causes irritation among those who hate cycling. To confirm their certainty that he is doped, some rely on… his bleached blonde hair!” the specialist said.
Mondenard also pointed out that the dominance of the UAE Team Emirates – XRG leader did not begin recently. The Slovenian has been one of the leading figures in the international peloton for several years, long before appearing with his current platinum blonde hair. For the doctor, the coincidence between the change in appearance and his recent victories is simply irrelevant from a scientific standpoint.
Read also
Why EPO cannot be detected through hair testing
He also explained that the substance most commonly associated with doping in endurance sports, erythropoietin (EPO), cannot be detected through hair testing. “EPO, the main doping product in endurance sports such as cycling, due to its size, cannot be detected by hair analysis.”
The specialist added that although chemical processes such as bleaching can reduce traces of some substances, including drugs like cocaine or opiates, those substances are rarely used to improve sporting performance. In any case, they are easily detected through far more common anti-doping methods such as blood and urine tests, which remain the basis of most controls in professional cycling.
Pogacar’s Eminem tribute behind the blonde hair
To illustrate how weak the suspicion surrounding Pogacar’s hair is, Mondenard pointed to an example from another sport. “Footballer Antoine Griezmann has played for years with fluorescent pink hair. Curiously, nobody sees that as an indication of doping… even though football is not free from the medicalisation of performance,” he said, referring to the Atletico Madrid and France international.
Pogacar himself has already explained the reason for the change in appearance. According to the rider, the blonde hair is not linked to cycling’s past or to any former riders. Instead, it is simply a tribute to rapper Eminem, an artist he has said he greatly admires.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- You despise him because he calls out the truth....OK clown !frieders303-11-2026
- JV is really slighting himself with not doing the 1 dayers.. 🤷
leedorney02-11-2026 - Watch the interview on youtube. I don't speak French. I do speak English and Spanish and you can hear it in his voice. Years ago LeMond had real personal problems I imagine in no small part because of Armstrong. then Armstrong goes round "full blast" re: LeMond having drinking and drug problems. The same way Andreu was expelled from mainstream cycling so was LeMond. On the positive side the clips of the ride and chatting with old teammates and was good. To seemed like a fun day and experience and good reason brush up his French.atom02-11-2026
- and another no-news article around the ‚2 tokyo jogging rounds‘ headline, this time spiced with some days old ‚news‘ that the LA and japan vacation trips come during or after the tdf route release. i am getting more and more annoyed by this time-stealing no-news crap. but who am i to complain? nobody forces me to come back for more ‚news‘ day after day …Ketterechts02-11-2026
- It would likely be a very steep section of 4.1 km, not changing the average gradient considerably, with the climb remaining 10.1 km at 11.8%. It would reach 20% on the gravel. It would start 1.6 km in, and finish with 4.2 km left to climb (before the short final descent)
Rafionain-Glas02-11-2026 - Welcome to the off-season.
santiagobenites02-11-2026 - guillaume martin in this list is quite a surprise as a gc rider.Ketterechts02-11-2026
- Who cares what Bruyneel thinks. He and his best mate Lance, the biggest fraud in the history of sport, have no place commenting on anything but how to lie and cheat!whit2pet02-11-2026
- Eeesh!Lozza02-11-2026
- bravo! a rider likes jonas needs motivation and he needs to believe in being able to reach goals. he - like anybody else in the world - doesn't believe that he can win the tdf with pogi present. and what's it worth for when pogi is not there? second class victory only. he has checked all three grand tours, so what is left if not retire? the classics! go for it, jonas!Ketterechts02-11-2026
Loading
1 Comments