The limit is tenuous, but in the UCI regulations, tramadol, a painkiller widely used in medicine, has been banned during races since March 2019 for “ preserve the health and safety of runners given the side effects of this substance “. The International Control Agency (ITA) uses dried blood samples to detect the presence of this powerful painkiller.
While taking tramadol violates UCI medical regulations, it does not constitute an anti-doping rule violation. ” It is perfectly legal for a runner to take tramadol as part of a prescription because he suffers from acute low back pain, for example. But in these conditions, he does not take the risk of being on a bike in the middle of the peloton “, detailed at the time Xavier Bigard, the medical director of the UCI, to explain the nuance.
Taken for the first time, the Colombian is “just” disqualified from the race on which the control was carried out. In the event of a repeat offence, he risks a five-month suspension.