An opiate-based painkiller “ten instances” stronger than Tramadol, which is but to be banned, is elevating issues inside the UCI and the Motion for Credible Biking (MPCC), in line with a report by Swiss newspaper Le Temps.
Tapentadol was raised at a gathering of the Skilled Biking Council final month, in line with Le Temps, with biking’s governing physique, the UCI, apparently nervous about its use inside skilled biking.
The UCI requested the World Anti-Doping Company (WADA) on the finish of final 12 months for Tapentadol to be added to its monitoring programme, with a view to finally banning the substance altogether, a request that was reportedly accepted.
It’s just like the method adopted in banning Tramadol, which was broadly utilized in biking earlier than it was banned from 2019, earlier than it was really on WADA’s banned listing. It was banned by WADA in January this 12 months.
Tramadol was discovered to enhance time trial efficiency by 1.3% in “extremely skilled” cyclists, in line with a examine in 2023. Tapentadol is reportedly “ten instances stronger”.
The drug was developed by German pharmaceutical firm Grünenthal within the Nineteen Eighties, earlier than being accepted within the US in 2008 and in Europe in 2010. It’s a Class A drug within the UK, in the identical class as morphine and heroin.
The painkiller was mentioned within the Skilled Biking Council assembly on Could 29. Le Temps quoted the minutes of the assembly: “The UCI expressed their issues for a brand new substance known as Tapentadol, which can probably be used as a substitute for Tramadol. Extra evaluation is required but when used it’s believed to be ten instances stronger than Tramadol”
The MPCC’s president, Roger Legeay, advised Le Temps that his organisation has written to WADA to name for the prohibition of Tapentadol, because it equally opposed Tramadol earlier than it was banned
“It took us twelve years to get Tramadol banned. This time, we hope that the authorities can be faster,” Legeay mentioned.
“Wholesome athletes don’t have any must resort to therapeutic merchandise of this nature. Moreover, it must be burdened that analgesics cut back or eradicate ache, which is a performance-enhancing issue.”
MPCC groups weren’t allowed to make use of Tramadol even earlier than it was on the UCI’s banned listing. Solely eight of 18 males’s WorldTour groups are a part of the MPCC: Arkéa-B&B Resorts, Bora-Hansgrohe, Cofidis, Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale, dsm-firmenich PostNL, EF Edcuation-EasyPost, Groupama-FDJ and Intermarché-Wanty. 4 Girls’s WorldTour groups are members: dsm, FDJ-Suez, Human Powered Well being and Uno-X Mobility.
