The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) announces that it will propose to its Management Committee that the use of carbon monoxide (CO) by riders be banned on medical grounds.
The decision will be made by the executive body of the Federation at its next meeting, which will take place in Arras, France, on 31 January and 1 February 2025.
Carbon monoxide is a toxic, odorless gas that is often a cause of household accidents. Inhaled in low doses and under strict safety conditions, the gas is used in medicine as a tracer to measure the pulmonary diffusion of oxygen or of the total hemoglobin mass. However, when inhaled repeatedly in non-medical conditions, it can cause side effects such as headaches, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, chest pain, breathing difficulties, and even loss of consciousness.
The UCI considers that these health side effects, and the complete lack of knowledge about the long-term effects of repeated inhalation of carbon monoxide, justify a ban on the use of this gas due to medical reasons. Its use in a medical setting, by qualified medical personnel, and within the strict context of assessing total hemoglobin mass, would, however, remain authorised.