On July 16, 1999, in Saint-Galmier (Loire), the starting point for the twelfth stage, Christophe Bassons, 25, abandoned the Tour de France, victim of the gibes of the cycling community – including riders from his own team, the Frenchwoman. games. That day, the Tarnais paid cash for his image as a clean runner on the Grande Boucle, already under the ruthless administration of the American Lance Armstrong. “Desperate for the professional world”, he turned the page on road cycling in 2001. He joined the French Anti-Doping Agency, before choosing, at the end of 2019, to devote himself to prevention deviant behavior as an interregional anti-doping advisor within the regional academic delegation for youth, engagement and sport in New Aquitaine.
How do you see this Tour de France 2021, while the performances of some riders in the first weeks, in particular those of the yellow jersey Tadej Pogacar (UAE Emirates), raise questions?
Seen from the outside, the domination of Pogacar, in particular during the ascent of the col de la Colombière [lors de la 8e étape entre Oyonnax et Le Grand-Bornand, le 3 juillet], is surprising. Every year, we see a team or a rider who stands out. It is not something new. Some are also punctually impressive, like Wout van Aert for example [le coureur belge de la Jumbo-Visma s’est imposé lors de la 11e étape et sa double ascension du mont Ventoux]. But they have incredible qualities and run understandable races …
What remains the most surprising for me are the speeds. We can say that Pogacar is in front, that he is breaking power records, etc., it does not change the fact that, behind, the entire peloton rolls very quickly.
How to explain it?
There is an enormous medicalization of the peloton, which makes it possible to ride at such a speed. This provides good recovery, which allows you to take the start every day at almost 100%, but also to make the body work at 110% -120%… We are able to do all this without going into doping.
However, there are things that can surprise: the powers, the supervision of certain runners, the fact of accumulating prowess day by day or the fact of being multitrain … It is sure that it puts in doubt , but can we say that it is due to doping? Technological help?
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