Doping

Not only does an athlete's will to win form part of his or her attitude but, additionally, he or she is often under social or economic pressure factors to come first.
That is why the sports world has been confronted with doping for many decades, which is also the case in cycling.

Over and above this is the fact that all layers of society easily turn to medicine to solve their problems. We assume that there is tablet for every little ache and pain.

It is very easy to take step to performance-enhancing substances in sport. The athlete often ends up in this boat without personally (fully) realising the risks allied to such action, both to one’s health and ethically. In the end, this is also to the detriment of the sport.

There is a distinction between the use of prohibited substances in competition and those outside the scope of competition. The first doping checks outside competition date back to 1978 and were implemented by the Belgian Olympic International Committee (B.O.I.C.).

A set of international doping regulations that had been proposed by the B.O.I.C. were accepted in the 80s.

The doping list is continuously updated because new medicines are constantly being developed. These updates are published officially.

There are various ways to administer doping: through the nose, mouth, under the tongue, as a suppository, into the arteries, under the skin, transcutaneously, intravenously or by inhalation. The speed and extent to which the substance is taken up by the body depends on the manner in which it is administered.

Athletes are currently monitored extremely strictly and their whereabouts are checked regularly. One can be punished both for taking doping and for not subjecting yourself to doping checks.

Sanctions for using doping range from suspension and disqualification to far-reaching measures such as prison sentences.