{"id":557683,"date":"2026-03-24T14:58:08","date_gmt":"2026-03-24T14:58:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/557683\/"},"modified":"2026-03-24T14:58:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-24T14:58:08","slug":"former-pro-with-doping-past-raises-suspicions-after-milan-san-remo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/557683\/","title":{"rendered":"Former pro with doping past raises suspicions after Milan\u2013San Remo"},"content":{"rendered":"

After an incredible Milan-San Remo,<\/a> a former professional cyclist has caused\u00a0 controversy after questioning the level of performance on Saturday.<\/p>\n

In a long post on Instagram<\/a>, Erwann Mentheour argued that cycling\u2019s past should stop fans from accepting extraordinary performances without a bit of scrutiny.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn cycling, admiration should never erase critical thinking,\u201d he posted, adding that the more extreme a performance looks, the more it should invite questions, not insults or wild theories, but simple, necessary doubt.<\/p>\n

Watching Tadej Poga\u010dar race, win, repeat, and dominate, Mentheour said he struggles to accept the narrative being presented. The world champion did have a, well, unbelievable race, that is clear. The Team UAE Emirates rider crashed at the worst possible time, just before the Cipressa.<\/p>\n

To win La Primavera in the first place was already a seemingly impossible task for Pogi. The climbs aren\u2019t long or hard enough and getting to the line solo seemed improbable. The plan this year was to attack on the CIpressa, as opposed to the Poggio like last year. It\u2019s longer, and slightly steeper. The problem was there was a headwind\u2013not ideal for a solo attack on a climb.<\/p>\n

After the crash, he was 30 seconds behind. Then, not only did he catch back on as the Cipressa began\u2013no small feat when the best teams in the world are riding tempo. Then, he made it to the front on American Brandon McNulty\u2019s wheel. And despite the crash, the team stuck to the plan\u2013he attacked, and only Tom Pidcock and Mathieu van der Poel could hang on.<\/p>\n

The Frenchman went on to describe a rider who rarely seems to drop off, who moves through seasons with remarkable consistency, and who appears capable of performing at the highest level \u201ceverywhere, all the time.\u201d For him, that level of dominance goes far beyond anything he experienced during his own career, even at the highest level of the sport. He\u2019s not the first to question some of these incredible performances, either<\/a>. But there has been no direct evidence or proof of doping by any of the top riders, only suspicion from observers. And most of Pogi\u2019s peers believe that he may very well be one of the greatest riders of all time.<\/a><\/p>\n

Dominance and doubt: Analysts address doping talk around UAE<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

He pointed to cycling\u2019s heavily tainted history, arguing the sport has too many scars to accept dominance at face value. In his words, cycling has \u201clied, cheated, hidden things, destroyed reputations, bodies, and entire generations of riders.\u201d Because of that, he says, questioning whether such overwhelming superiority is plausible is not scandalous, it\u2019s the bare minimum.<\/p>\n

In 1999, Menth\u00e9our wrote a book in which he discussed his doping history<\/a>, including those who enabled his drug use. Among the substances he admitted using were amphetamines, cocaine, corticosteroids, erythropoietin (EPO), and heroin.<\/p>\n

Michael M\u00f8rk\u00f8v gives opinion about possibility of doping in peloton<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

He rode for Fran\u00e7aise des Jeux (now Groupama\u2013FDJ) and was a teammate of Mauro Gianetti, who is now the general manager of UAE Team Emirates. Gianetti also has a bit of a past in the sport, but that\u2019s a story for another time.<\/a><\/p>\n

But Mentheour was careful not to make direct accusations. Instead, he stressed that he is not claiming anything he cannot prove. But he insists that at this level of domination, doubt is not cynicism \u2014 it is \u201cmental hygiene.\u201d A performance, he said, can be extraordinary, but it can also be \u201ctoo perfect to be taken at face value.\u201d<\/p>\n

Doping suspicions and crashes: New Tour de France unchained trailer drops<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

He ended with a pointed question: \u201cDo you honestly believe it? At what point did the obvious need for questioning become less acceptable than blind belief in sporting achievement?\u201d
Not everyone agreed with him.<\/p>\n

One critic responded that the reaction is exaggerated. They pointed out that Milan\u2013San Remo is a race many riders spend years trying to win. In their view, Poga\u010dar had been close for five years, finishing second, third, or fourth, and finally took the victory. \u201cHe has won it once, not five times,\u201d they wrote. \u201cStop constantly being suspicious. When Paul Seixas has half his palmar\u00e8s, no one in France will be crying scandal.\u201d<\/p>\n

With Pogi\u2019s win, he has now taken four out of five Monuments. The last one that still eludes him is Paris-Roubaix. It\u2019s hardly a perfect race for him, despite him finishing second last year. Still, it\u2019s something he wants to win. As far as Grand Tours, he still hasn\u2019t won the Vuelta A Espa\u00f1a , although he hasn\u2019t done it since his breakout year in 2019, where he finished third. Former pro and current commentator said that it wouldn\u2019t be hard for the world champ to win the Vuelta\u2013he even joked, \u201cHe could win it in his sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n

There are no plans for Poga\u010dar to race the Vuelta this year\u2013although that could change. There are even rumours that he may go for a true Triple Crown and race\u2013and try and win\u2013all three Grand Tours in 2027.<\/p>\n