Banning Tramadol

Team Sky has backed a recent MPCC (Movement for Credible Cycling) initiative, calling for the painkiller Tramadol to be added to the official list of prohibited substances.

Allan Farrell, a doctor with Sky, told Cyclingnews.com that Tramadol is “an effective pain killer when it is used in the clinically appropriate scenario. Certainly in our team we would have used it in the past but only when justified.”

“We would have prescribed it, very minimally but sometimes if someone had an injury that justified pain killing medication.”

Tramadol effect

Tramadol is a potentially addictive opioid, which is currently on WADA’s monitoring list.

Sky’s Farrel added to Cyclingnews.com that “there are side effects with the medication that are under reported. For me it is not just about it being banned as a performance enhancing drug, it is more an issue over rider safety. People react differently to different medication but some of the side effects can include nausea and dizziness so all of those issues, if they were to effect someone, could lead to other problems and potentially pose a danger.”

Earlier this year WADA confirmed in a letter to the MPCC that “the number of samples containing Tramadol is significant and the very large majority of them originate from cyclists.”

While Tramadol cannot be seen as performance enhancing, it can make a rider continue through pain and injuries, thus endangering himself.

Farrel acknowledges this viewpoint, and states that “if you need to apply for a TUE medication used as a pain killer, the reality is that someone should be removed from competition. I do not think there should be a scenario where someone should compete with such a strong painkiller.”

Pain is good

While a ban on Tramadol might cause some resentment in the peloton it is important to remember that pain is a good thing. It is our body’s way of letting us know that we are doing something wrong.

Riders are continually being pushed to the physical limit, and if their body is damaged, and they do not realize it, things might turn real bad.

The dichotomy between riders, pain-killers and WADA’s rules, was expressed rather well (and perhaps a bit on the funny side) in a Times article, a few years ago. The rider in question? None other than Garmin’s directeur sportif and general manager Jonathan Vaughters. That time around Vaughters may have wished for a less stern stance on prohibited substances…

The previous afternoon, while out on a leisurely ride with his teammates during the rest day in Pau, a wasp had become entrapped in his sunglasses and stung him in the eye. Vaughters was allergic to wasp stings and by the time he had returned to the team hotel, his eye was the size of a golf ball. The pain was only beginning.

“The only thing that’s going to reduce that swelling is a cortisone injection which, as you know, is proscribed,” the team doctor announced. “Take it and you’ll test positive.”

Vaughters was distraught. “But that’s ridiculous . . . I can’t see! I can’t ride my bike! How will I finish the race?”

“I’m sorry Jonathan,” the doctor replied. “I can give you the injection but you will have to abandon the race. There are no exemptions for allergies. We have to do this by the book.”