| 03/31/2001 | UCI to Introduce New Test for Killer Drug EPOAccording to Reuters The International Cycling Union (UCI) will introduce a new test Sunday to detect stamina-boosting erythropoietin (EPO), the banned drug at the center of the 1998 Tour de France drugs scandal. The International Cycling Union (UCI) said in a statement Friday that it would introduce a urine test for the substance, one of the most dangerous drugs used in sport.
EPO works by stimulating the production of the red blood cells which carry oxygen around the body. This has the same effect as altitude training. EPO is used by some competitors in endurance sports like cycling or distance running. It is produced naturally in humans, but if it enters the body artificially it can be fatal by making the blood thick and gluey and leading to a breakdown of the entire circulatory system.
This is the latest action in the fight against doping in cycling, which started in earnest after the scandal which marred the 1998 Tour de France. The scandal started with the discovery of doping products in a car driven by Festina masseur. Since then, cycling has been hit by other doping scandals and a number of investigations have been launched. |
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