Anti-Doping-Concept

The Race Across America is one of the most extreme endurance events on this planet. Doping is, according to the RAAM rules, strictly forbidden and will be controlled following the rules of the UCI (International Bicycle Union).

After successfully finishing RAAM 2008, I have proven to myself that RAAM is possible without artificial enhancement of one’s physical or mental abilities. In order to proof this statement to potential critics, we employed a rigorous anti-doping concept for the RAAM 2008, and we are going to repeat the most important parts of the concept in 2010.

Current Anti-Doping Tests are analyzing all test material (blood, urine) immediately. Drugs for which tests at the time of analysis are not available are usually not detectable. In order to circumvent this problem and to be able to counter all future critics, we have decided to work out an additional anti-doping concept with the Department of Sport Medicine of the University of Freiburg, Germany.

Our concept controls against doping in two ways: by the classical immediate testing and also by making long-term controls possible. During the preparation phase before RAAM, a biological profile with the most important blood parameters will be established (Hemoglobin, hematocrit, blood volume, reticulocytes).

The analysis will be conducted with the same criteria that are used by the UCI in collaboration with the WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency). The principal idea behind this concept is preserving the probes for future analysis with potentially improved techniques. Due to this concept, potential critics can easily access the probes and perform additional tests if wanted.

Blood controls for RAAM 2008

Date Hb Concentration g/kg body weight
 Hb Total Mass
in gramm
 Hematocrit
%
 Retikulocytes
%
18.03.2008     44,2 0,6
25.03.2008 12,5  966 44,8 0,6
08.04.2008 12,3  945 45,7 0,8
15.04.2008 12,3  944 41,8 0,5
22.04.2008     43,8 0,7
29.04.2008 11,9  918 42,5 0,7
23.05.2008 12,6  971  44,1 0,7
25.06.2008  13,0   972  46,3  1,2 
02.07.2008 13,2  989  44,4 1,0

 Blood controls for RAAM 2010:

Date Hb concentration
g/kg body weight

Hb total mass
in gramm

 Hematocrit
%
 Reticulocytes
%
24.02.2010 12,5 973 46,2 0,7
25.03.2010 12,3 947 43,4 0,5
29.04.2010 12,8 960 45,1 0,6
06.07.2010 13,2 993 44,5 0,8