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The UCI, pro cycling’s world governing body, will add pain reliever tramadol to its list of banned substances. It’s the first time the federation will ban a drug still permitted by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
The prohibition will begin in March, UCI press officer Louis Chenaille said, though details about its extent and penalties for violators are not yet available. The rule change will be incorporated into the UCI’s medical regulations and will not fall under the responsibility of WADA, according to Chenaille.
Use of tramadol, a synthetic opioid, is widespread in cycling. A 2017 WADA report found that out of more than 12,500 samples collected from competitive riders, nearly 550 (about 4.4 percent) showed significant levels of the drug. This was a far higher rate than in any other endurance sport.
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But tramadol has been criticized for giving riders an unfair advantage while putting their health at risk. A 2018 study in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport found that while tramadol did improve cycling power output in a 20-minute time-trial test, it also led to impaired focus and attention—a dangerous combo when racing at high speeds. And as with other opioids, it carries the risk of addiction.
“This prohibition is strictly grounded on medical reasons,” Chenaille said. “The aim is to protect the rider’s health, and to reduce the risk of falls during competitions.”
Some high-profile cyclists (including managers on Team Sky) have long called for a tramadol ban. Though WADA added the drug to its Monitored List, which tracks substances for potential abuse, in 2012, it has not banned tramadol in competition.
Once its own ban is in effect, the UCI has several options for regulation. If it follows WADA’s guidelines for similar prohibited drugs, it could allow riders to get therapeutic-use exemptions (TUEs) that authorize tramadol use in competition if they can prove they need it. But even then, riders would have strict limits on how much tramadol they can have in their systems.
“The exact rules, the method of detection, and the penalties imposed will be communicated shortly,” Chenaille said.
The UCI agreed to enact the tramadol ban during a June 2018 meeting where it approved a slate of policy updates, including those addressing equal pay for men and women racers, authorizing disc brakes for road and BMX racing, and approving snow bike events on the UCI Mountain Bike Calendar.
“[Tramadol] is a strong analgesic, associated with significant undesirable side-effects such as dizziness, loss of alertness, drowsiness, or physical dependency and risks of addiction to opioids,” the UCI stated after the meeting. “The UCI has therefore decided to commit to a move towards banning the use of tramadol in competition for health reasons.”
