About this episode

James Witts discusses the complexities of doping in cycling and the implications for the sport.

This week, James and Will are joined by journalist, author and cyclist, James Witts. James writes for a host of prestigious titles including the most prestigious of them all, Cyclist magazine, along with The Guardian, GQ, Rouleur and Men’s Health to name but four more. James also edits the annual official Tour de France guide and has penned four books including his most recent, Dope, which explores the doping landscape of sport, from opium and the Ancient Greeks to modern athletes and micro-dosing EPO. In this episode, James explains what constitutes a banned substance; how performance enhancers such as EPO work; how the biological passport catches cheats; how evasion might still happen at altitude camps; and what ‘legal’ methods athletes might still use. We also discuss the recent night-time testing at the Tour de France and what it might mean; how anti-doping agencies are funded and why that model is so murky; why athletes dope in the first place (it’s not what you might think); and that million-dollar question – is cycling actually clean? Dope by James Witts (Blink Publishing) is out now We also discuss the tragic news of the death of cyclist Finlay Tarling at the Volta a…

People in this episode

Host: Will

Guest: James Witts

Topics covered

• doping
• cycling
• performance enhancement
• anti-doping
• sports ethics
• Tour de France

Sponsors

Boyd Cycling, Maserati

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Cyclist magazine, The Guardian, GQ, Rouleur, Men’s Health

Books & works: Dope

More episodes of Cyclist Magazine Podcast

• 165. Phil Cavell: The Cycling Addiction · September 3, 2026 · 1h 8m
• 163. The art of the climb, with Simon Warren · August 6, 2026 · 1h 18m
• 162. The simple (yet complicated) truth behind bike design, with Chris Dodman · July 23, 2026 · 1h 17m

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