Investigators have uncovered evidence that a new blood doping product has been used in cycling for several years without being detected.
The Operation Aderlass investigation believes the product,
H7379 Haemoglobin Human, was being used as far back as 2016.
While it can be detected during testing, a targeted test
that specifically checks for the drug is required.
The product cannot be found using regular dope testing
and a targeted test for the substance would only be carried out if there was
prior evidence a cyclist was using the drug.
H7379 Haemoglobin Human is not believed to be available
on the market but Operation Aderlass has been told by a suspect arrested during
the inquiry had had been supplying the drug to a German doctor for us in pro
cyclists and other athletes.
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The substance is effectively a synthetic haemoglobin; the
oxygen-transporting substance that makes up red blood cells. As such, it would
boost the blood’s ability in the same way EPO can.
Riders who took blood transfusions would also have gained
from the same blood-boosting process that H7379 Haemoglobin Human is designed
to bring about.
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It is not the first synthetic haemoglobin to be linked to
pro cycling, but it is a new product that has not hit the headlines, or been
detected, in cyclists before.
Peter Van Eenoo of the Ghent doping lab told European news outlets he was not familiar with the drug, but explained how these types of substances can benefit athletes.
““The oxygen absorbed in the lungs is transferred
faster to the tissues that need it, which improves the athlete's endurance,” he
said.
Operation Aderlass, a blood doping probe based in Austria
and German, uncovered blood bags during raids early last year.
It is examining the activities of Dr Mark Schmidt, who is
based in Germany and previously worked as a doctor with the Gerolsteiner and
Milram pro cycling teams.
Investigators have been investigating his role in helping
athletes from across several sports, including cycling and skiing, to blood
dope.
The new information about H7379 Haemoglobin Human has apparently come from a Croatian man who says he was supplying the substance to Schmidt for cyclists and other athletes.
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