A powerful muscle relaxant drug used in the treatment of cerebral palsy, among other conditions, has been found in hair samples taken from a small number of riders in the Tour de France this year, according to a medical report.
The French report was published in the Wiley Analytical Science Journal which has outlined the results of tests carried out on samples collected at the Tour.
The collection of hair samples for testing was requested
by the public health division of France’s national police “based on suspicion
as numerous boxes of Tizanidine were found in the room” used by a medical
doctor working within cycling.
The goal of the exercise was specifically to “test for Tizanidine
in hair specimens collected from international athletes”.
The hair samples collected by a forensic pathologist
confirmed the presence of the drug in very small concentrations. It was found
in the hair of three of seven riders from whom samples were taken.
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Tizanidine is not banned by WADA and any rider taking the drug did not break any doping rules. However, the case will be closely watched to see if it reflects the further medicalisation of the sport; involving the use of medicines which are not banned performance enhancers.
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Tizanidine cannot be purchased over the counter as it should
only be available from hospitals. It is a muscle relaxant that blocks pain sensations
and may aid recovery.
The report into the sample collection and tests was authored by Jean-Sébastien Raul, Pascal Kintz and Laurie Gheddar.
They say Tizanidine can be used for the “management
of pain in case of tension headache, acute low back pain, chronic pain
associated with cerebral palsy, or acute postoperative pain”. It has also
recently been used for withdrawal from alcohol and opioids
The report does not name the Tour but says the samples
were collected on “an international three-week cyclist race in France”.
While the report mentions no teams, it is common knowledge the Bahrain Victorious team was visited by police for searches on the Tour this year. Some of the riders and staff spoke about the experience after stage 17.
Marseille prosecutor’s office said at the time the
investigation was into “acquisition, transport, possession, import of a
prohibited substance or prohibited method for use by an athlete without medical
justification”.
