ABSTRACT
The Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) is a strong tool in the current climate of rapid advancements in biomarker discovery. Athletes who misuse doping substances do so to trigger physiological changes that provide performance enhancements. Interestingly, the formal guidelines indicate that the ABP is not limited to the longitudinal analysis of multiparametric biomarkers present in biological samples but should also include other relevant information such as the athletes’ whereabouts and other parameters, such as performance. While cycling performance ability can be evaluated and modelled scientifically, the reliability and validity of cycling power metres used in professional cycling first needs to be evaluated. When calibrated and accurate data is obtained, a longitudinal power data profile for a cyclist, in the form of an APP may provide a useful signature of likely changes in training and performance potential. However, accounting for confounding factors that affect performance and integrating this into the ABP represents an additional concomitant challenge. In conclusion, understanding performance in cycling is very complex, and targeting abnormal performance even more. An improved ABP with new biomarkers (e.g. from ‘omics’ technologies) could help defining links with performance variations. Proper acquisition and standardisation of performance data with adequate modelling may finally help experts in their longitudinal concomitant interpretation of cyclists’ haematological, biological, and performance profiles. This chapter addresses how systematic scientific approaches may tighten the net for counterfeiters by raising both deterrence and adequate targeting in cycling.
