In force
Under 23 Cyclists' openness to doping: Understanding the causes of doping behaviour among junior road cyclists with professional aspirations
Project description
Summary
The present study aims to better understand the causes of doping behavior among U.S. junior road cyclists with professional aspirations. The study follows along American cyclists from the Espoir category (age class: 19 to 22) racing in America and Europe.
Methodology
A survey method and a personal interview were used to assess the attitude towards doping and the possibility of using prohibited substances. A total of 170 valid surveys were conducted, resulting in the collection of 10 one-hour interviews with U23 cyclists who raced professionally as Espoirs.
Results
The findings unequivocally link the "need to dope" to success as a professional cyclist. All the cyclists interviewed described a situation in which they "needed to dope". In all cases it was a coach, an exercise physiologist or a directeur sportif (DS) pushing the cyclist to produce better and more impressive results.
Significance for Clean Sport
The relationship between training practices, the influence of team personnel and peers has the most potential for future research on attitudes to the use of performance-enhancing drugs. Also important is the different perception of doping among professionals, amateurs, and the general public. Anecdotally, it appears that U23 college cyclists view doping as a moral issue and similar to "hard drug use." While morally opposed to doping, most Espoirs view performance-enhancing drugs as one option among many for improving performance and achieving results.