TotalEnergies team boss weighs in on doping debate around Pogacar: "Let him provide guarantees"

“It’s astonishing to see this level of difference,” said the 68-year-old Bernaudeau, acknowledging the incredible form the Slovenian world champion is displaying. “I come from a time when, if you didn’t take control, you would fall behind the best. That’s no longer the case. We’re talking about Pogacar, he’s an exceptionally strong individual. He has a beautiful face and a great physique, but I’d like to see him grow even further into a true top-level athlete.”

A top-level athlete? Isn’t Pogacar already that? Or what exactly does Bernaudeau mean by that? “Let him provide guarantees. Some riders have done that,” he says, referring to the renewed discussions around doping. “We live with suspicion, we went through the Festina affair. I don’t think cycling can afford to fall into another scandal. The sport is just trying to keep its head above water.”

“The WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) was created, the biological passport was developed, location tracking software was introduced,” notes Bernaudeau, acknowledging that progress has been made. But he insists, “We need to take it a step further: we need to change the laws.” According to the former rider, every cyclist should be part of the MPCC, the Movement for Credible Cycling.

Currently, only 10 of the WorldTour teams are members. Teams like Visma | Lease a Bike, UAE Team Emirates–XRG, and INEOS Grenadiers are not affiliated, and many teams and riders have left the movement in the past, much to Bernaudeau’s frustration. “What’s stopping a team from joining? We fought against EPO. The MPCC bans itself from using a lot of substances. I’m not a medical expert, I hire doctors to keep my riders healthy. That’s their job.”

Bernaudeau insists he avoids anything that might provide a questionable physical advantage. “Ketones, I don’t even know what they are. The carbon dioxide we breathe, I know nothing about it. But it’s undoubtedly disastrous for our credibility. What a disaster! Ketones don’t cure a sore throat and carbon dioxide is deadly, and yet some teams use them.” Not at TotalEnergies, at least. “We’re not interested in ketones. They’re bad for our image, so we avoid them.”

So what exactly does Bernaudeau expect from Pogacar, whose credibility has been questioned on multiple occasions? “I’m asking him to publish his parameters, his wattages and what he’s doing. And also to allow his samples to be stored and say: ‘I make myself available in ten years, when testing has advanced.’”