That’s what French star Marc Fayet has to say about the carbon monoxide scandal. But what does Bernard Sainz have to do with it?

Carbon monoxide use by cyclists to improve their performance was one of the most divisive issues during the 2024 season. It was used by riders like Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard, but is it legal? Maybe for now, but is it right? This is something that a lot of cycle fans aren’t so sure about, which is understandable since the sport has a history of people breaking the rules.

Marc Fayet, an actor and cycling fan, wrote a column for Cyclism’Actu about the moral problems with using carbon monoxide and other substances in riding. He talks about meeting a man in Paris that he thought was Bernard Sainz, also known as “Dr. Mabuse,” who is famous for being involved in doping incidents. Fayet thought about the problems that keep coming up in sports, like drugs and the lack of clear morals.

According to Fayet, riders are thinking about the next season and getting ready for it, especially in November. He says that during this time, some people might be tempted to look for illegal ways to improve their ability for the next season. He says, “Yet at a time when rumours about carbon monoxide machines, ketones, and other microdoses are current, the prescriptions of the dubious doctor, like the one I thought I recognised, seem to be outdated.”

Not sure who Bernard Sainz was.

Sainz became known as “Dr. Mabuse” because he gave cyclists illegal drugs and alternative treatments that were said to improve performance. He was not a qualified medical professional.

Many of the things he did were against the law, and over the years Sainz was investigated and had many legal problems, including being convicted of doping-related crimes in 2018. A lot of cycling fans get scared when they hear his name because it makes them think of Michele Ferrari, the notorious Italian doctor who led Lance Armstrong’s EPO campaign in the sport. Ferrari was also looked into for his crimes, and in 2004 he was found guilty of sports fraud.