Elite cyclists sought to take part in drugs study

Elite cyclists are being sought to take part in trials into whether two strong painkillers should added to the sport's banned list.

The University of Kent in Canterbury is conducting the research on behalf of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) into tapentadol and and dihydrocodeine.

Dihydrocodeine is only available on prescription, and both are opioids used to treat long-term pain.

The team said they needed elite cyclists, and particularly women, to test their effects on performance.

Prof Lex Mauger, from the University of Kent, said: "It's illegal in the UK to drive or operate heavy machinery, having taken these drugs.

"Because of that, and because someone who is riding a bike, at very high speeds and in close proximity to a competitor, that impact of motor control could have quite significant effects on the safety of the athlete."

The trial began on 1 March and will run for a year.

Three-dimensional cameras focused on markers on the bike will be used to track the effects on their motor skills as they ride.

Between 2020 and 2022, the university conducted the study which lead to tramadol being banned by WADA in 2024, although it had already been banned in cycling in 2019.

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