Anti-doping fighter and former professional Christophe Bassons sees taking medication in cycling as a major problem.
The 48-year-old emphasized that the anti-doping fight had become much more effective, but in an interview with the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” he called for more transparency in order to make the sport more credible. “Nowadays the medical support is much more extensive, so you can drive almost at the same level as doped people. But this medical support scares me almost more than doping,” said Bassons.
If you have the choice “between a small therapeutic dose of Epo or 20 to 30 tablets a day to ride a Tour de France, think for a moment which of these is more dangerous. Cycling would gain enormous credibility if the Drivers would say exactly what they put into their bodies at what time each day”. Bassons also criticized the growing mental challenge. He hardly sees today’s professionals smile on the bike: “The psychological pressure is monstrous.”
Bassons was a pro in the heyday of epo doping from 1996 to 2001 and refused to take any illicit drugs. Today’s teacher was driving for Team Festina in 1998 when it sparked one of the biggest doping scandals in history. Because of his attitude, Bassons was marginalized in the peloton, even his own team once pursued him when he tried to escape from the Tour de France.
According to Bassons, two contracts were once presented to him during a contract negotiation. One specimen if he stays clean and another if he would dope. The latter’s salary was ten times that.