4-time Tour de France Winner Chris Froome Fails Drug Test

[LKLA]

Four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome has failed a drugs test.

Froome submitted a urine sample that contained twice the permitted level of salbutamol, a legal asthma drug, during his 2017 victory at Vuelta a España in September.

He maintains innocence and, according to The Guardian, said that "it is well known" that he suffers from asthma, that he knows "exactly what the rules are," and that he used an inhaler to manage his symptoms.

Cyclists are allowed a level of 1,000 nanograms of salbutamol per milliltre in their urine, as per World Anti-Doping Agency rules. Froome's sample was double that.

 

[scott43]

Interesting case. Exceeded the Tue exemption limit. What do you do now? I think he gets a ban. Intentional or not he won illegally.

 

[LKLA]

Interesting case. Exceeded the Tue exemption limit. What do you do now? I think he gets a ban. Intentional or not he won illegally.

I think he will loose the Vuelta that he won back in September and likely get a few months ban. I don't see him getting a something like a two year ban. I am not saying I agree with that - just how I see things going down.

The main in my opinion is the high levels recorded. The 1,000 nanogram limit imposed by the UCI is already far higher than the "regular/normal" dose for asthma patients, so the fact that Froome has more than double that already high limit is a clear sign that he was cheating by trying to gain the anabolic gains that salbutomal provides at very high doses. This has very little / nothing to do with asthma.

 

[skibob]

I think he will loose the Vuelta that he won back in September and likely get a few months ban. I don't see him getting a something like a two year ban. I am not saying I agree with that - just how I see things going down.

The main in my opinion is the high levels recorded. The 1,000 nanogram limit imposed by the UCI is already far higher than the "regular/normal" dose for asthma patients, so the fact that Froome has more than double that already high limit is a clear sign that he was cheating by trying to gain the anabolic gains that salbutomal provides at very high doses. This has very little / nothing to do with asthma.

I have no idea if he ACTUALLY suffers from asthma. But anybody who has, knows that you hit it until you can breath again. Period. You don't think about levels. You don't think about the directions on the package. Or the cautions of the pharmacist. You hit it until you can breath again.

That doesn't mean he was not gaming. Just putting it out there for those of you who haven't dealt with asthma.

 

[Tom K.]

Interesting case. Exceeded the Tue exemption limit. What do you do now? I think he gets a ban. Intentional or not he won illegally.

I don't believe that salbutamol has required a TUE for a number of years. It does, however, have a limit of 1,000 ng/L.

I have no idea if he ACTUALLY suffers from asthma. But anybody who has, knows that you hit it until you can breath again. Period. You don't think about levels. You don't think about the directions on the package. Or the cautions of the pharmacist. You hit it until you can breath again.

That doesn't mean he was not gaming. Just putting it out there for those of you who haven't dealt with asthma.

I hear you on the asthma thing, but as a bike racer, I'm always a little suspicious/peeved at how many high level bike racers seem to have asthma, as compared to the population at large......

This is going to take awhile to sort out, and will be melting down the bicycle part of the internet in the meantime!

 

[skibob]

I don't believe that salbutamol has required a TUE for a number of years. It does, however, have a limit of 1,000 ng/L.



I hear you on the asthma thing, but as a bike racer, I'm always a little suspicious/peeved at how many high level bike racers seem to have asthma, as compared to the population at large......

This is going to take awhile to sort out, and will be melting down the bicycle part of the internet in the meantime!

Yep. Amazing how many of the most effective cardiovascular machines on the planet grow out of the most cardiovascularly disadvantaged population on the planet . . .

 

[KevinF]

I am shocked! Truly shocked to hear that once again a high profile bike racer has been busted for taking "supplements".

I have always laughed at the surprisingly high number of 'asthma sufferers" in the pro ranks.

 

[scott43]

I am shocked! Truly shocked to hear that once again a high profile bike racer has been busted for taking "supplements".

I have always laughed at the surprisingly high number of 'asthma sufferers" in the pro ranks.

The sarcasm is thick in here..

 

[newfydog]

I hear you on the asthma thing, but as a bike racer, I'm always a little suspicious/peeved at how many high level bike racers seem to have asthma, as compared to the population at large......

I really struggle with EIA, and before it became well appreciated, had a hard time finding a doctor to take me seriously. It only shows up at the hardest anaerobic levels, but can really stop me. Without racing, I would never know I had it. A few years ago the some of the USST XC skiers had tests, and several were surprised to find they had an asthmatic decrease in lung function at high levels. These same athletes had complained when the entire Swiss team applied for a TUE.

That said, I have never for a moment thought Sky could be clean. A few years ago Froome had a minor crash and broke both wrists. A hand specialist explained to me they were taking drugs to lower bone density and shave weight. This shit just never ends.

 

[jmeb]

I don't believe that salbutamol has required a TUE for a number of years. It does, however, have a limit of 1,000 ng/L.

Correct -- no TUE for salbutamol. The 1000ng/L is the limit allowed in testing.

Sky's contention is that Froome used no more than the allowable dosage, but that his body (presumably due to the stress of being in the middle of a Grand Tour) failed to metabolize it at a normal rate, and therefore excreted it at higher than normal levels.

My understanding is that the only way Froome gets cleared of this is to recreate this lack of metabolizing in controlled conditions using a legal dosage of the drug. I don't understand how it would be physically possible though to recreate the conditions a human body is in after 2 weeks of a GT.

Not saying I believe Sky/Froome one way or the other. Just my understanding of where the situation is at.

 

[Tricia]

I am sort of interested in how many daily drugs we take have prohibited ingredients for high level athletes.
Not defending or critiquing, just curious how much of this stuff is in our every day intake.

But I won't lose any sleep over it.

 

[François Pugh]

Yeah, that's terrible. It's just not fair! People with asthma should be able to take asthma medicine to compete in bike races.

Spoiler: and

people who suffer from short leg syndrome should be able to take HGH so they can compete in running events, and people who suffer from low muscle mass should be able to take steroids so they can compete in power lifting events, and...

 

[mdf]

A limit expressed as quantity per liter seems a bit odd. Hydration is going to affect that a lot.

 

[scott43]

Well as eleeski points out, where is the line between therapeutic use and performance enhancing..

 

[crgildart]

I'm ready to just allow adults to freely access anything and everything that is available to the general public or prescribed by a licensed physician. Is most of this stuff really more harmful than excessive use of tobacco and alcohol? These competitors take all kinds of other risks in order to compete and beat other competitors. Going 60 mph on a bike around a tight corner in a crowd or 90 mph along the edge of fall and die terrain is also dangerous, very dangerous.

Protect the kids, keep them clean.. Let the pros do whatever their doctors and local laws allow other adults to do..

 

[Tom K.]

This shit just never ends.

Could probably just close the thread on that!

Is most of this stuff really more harmful than excessive use of tobacco and alcohol?
Protect the kids, keep them clean.. Let the pros do whatever their doctors and local laws allow other adults to do..

Yes, much more harmful, and don't for a second think that there is anything like doctor supervision of how much PEDs to use at lower tiers of racing. There is no money for that, at those levels.

As far as the kids vs. adults subject, I hear you, but many adult pro bike racers are in their early 20s, an age where it appears to me that society no longer believes they should really be required to function as independent adults, and I just hate seeing these "kids" screw themselves up for later life.

Because I know a few that have, darn it.

 

[LKLA]

The issue is not whether Froome has or does not have asthma. Nor is the issue that he consumed salbutamol, which is allowed by the UCI. It's not even a matter of having salbutamol levels that far exceed the clinical levels of most asthma patients as the UCI allows riders to have up to 1,000 nanograms of salbutamol in their system.

The issue is that Froome had 2,000 nanograms of salbutamol in his body, and at those levels salbutamol creates a marked anabolic effect. There seems to be no medical reason why anyone should take that much salbutamol. There have been cases where dehydration has increase salbutamol levels, so we will have to wait and see what Froome and his team respond with.

My hunch is that he will loose the Vuelta he won in September and be back for the TDF.

 

[jmeb]

The issue is that Froome had 2,000 nanograms of salbutamol in his body, and at those levels salbutamol creates a marked anabolic effect. There seems to be no medical reason why anyone should take that much salbutamol. There have been cases where dehydration has increase salbutamol levels, so we will have to wait and see what Froome and his team respond with.

We know how much was in his urine test. We do not know how much he took -- which Sky/Froome claim was within the legal dosage. As for the marked anabolic effect, my understanding is that the effect is relatively small and does not generally exceed say -- the anabolic effects of caffeine.

 

[LKLA]

We know how much was in his urine test. We do not know how much he took -- which Sky/Froome claim was within the legal dosage. As for the marked anabolic effect, my understanding is that the effect is relatively small and does not generally exceed say -- the anabolic effects of caffeine.

Well, if he showed levels of 2,000 in his urine sample then I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that it was also in his body! And from the little that I know levels in your body would only be lower - not higher - than those reflected in your urine sample.

Use of salbutamol is allowed by athletes justified for the treatment of asthma, but since the use is very common, the limit of 1,000 nanograms was set, very far from what would be obtained by using an inhaler. A typical dosage, or inhaler puff, is 100 micrograms. Salbutamol is banned when taken intravenously or in pill form.

Salbutamol, like clenbuterol, also provides an anabolic effects in high doses like those found in Froome.

 

[pchewn]

It is really scary how much all of you know about these drugs ...