UCI President David Lappartient is worried about the health of the peloton, not only due to increasingly strict diets, but also because of the pressures that arise within teams that lead to tensions for everyone. The road season has ended, but the International Cycling Union continues its work, seeking to improve: there are many important topics of discussion, ranging from health and safety to doubts about doping.

"We are spending ten million euros in the fight against doping, we are innovating, we are sharing information with ITA, we are collaborating with police and gendarmerie, but we must not be naive," Lappartient explained in a long interview with Ouest-France. "We must remain informed about doping issues: we cannot bury our heads in the sand, we know it remains a risk for cycling and we must always be at the forefront. We have banned carbon monoxide inhalation and tramadol, with WADA following suit. New performance research can emerge, because what is not prohibited is permitted. We must also be vigilant in terms of safety, because bicycles are as performant as Formula 1 cars."

Regarding the physical aspect, the UCI president focused on what is happening mainly in the women's sector and how leanness negatively affects the entire metabolism. Everyone remembers Pauline Ferrand-Prévot's thinness, but Lappartient is not concerned about an athlete who is too thin but well-monitored; for him, burnout in the group is much more dangerous.

"At the start in Vannes, I saw Pauline and found her really in shape. I thought to myself: she must be able to go fast. As long as everything is under the control of nutritionists and dietologists, and weight is not lost too quickly, there is a certain degree of control. I am more worried about the burnout that can be generated. Weighing food every day is demanding. Riders' mental health is concerning because there is pressure and tension in the group: everyone wants to be at the front, everyone receives the same instructions simultaneously, this is worrying. We are witnessing nervous breakdowns we didn't see before. You earn more in the group, but you are less happy. I see fewer riders laughing."

Then there is the safety issue concerning speed control, earpiece use, and SafeR: Lappartient thinks that many teams are not really interested in the safety issue, and when rules are given, there are actual forms of protest.

"When we conduct a test without earpieces, teams are against it; when we conduct a test to limit gear ratios, we are taken to court and teams are against it; when we wanted to bring SafeR tests with GPS locators to the Women's Tour of Romandie, five teams did not start. Too many teams strike against proposed solutions. Where is the common interest? I am not convinced that safety is as widely supported as some want us to believe. I have banned earpieces at World Championships, European Championships, and the Olympics; it's better tactically and for safety, but teams are against it."

There are negative points in cycling, but there are also positive aspects, such as the growing interest in women's cycling. This year, the numbers have been record-breaking, and beyond the Alps, the Women's Tour de France had higher ratings than Roland-Garros.

"Women's cycling viewership is continuously increasing, and this makes us happy. In particular, the ratings for the last stage of the women's Tour were higher than all mountain stages of the men's Tour. Who would have thought this five years ago, when the women's Tour didn't even exist? The final stage in Chatel has the second-highest viewership index after Montmartre. We have created something precious. In terms of ratings, the Women's Tour de France doubled Roland Garros' numbers."

Then there is the issue of Tadej Pogacar's absolute dominance. Lappartient is not worried about this, admitting that in past cycling, there have been similar cases.

"In sports, when you can predict who will win, interest decreases, obviously. But at this year's Paris-Roubaix or Milan-Sanremo, there was a real battle between Van der Poel and Pogačar, and it was exciting. The first week of the Tour wasn't bad, but then, arriving at the first mountain stage, the battle ended. Yes, Pogačar is at the peak of his career, just as Merckx was at his same age or Hinault. There have always been periods of absolute dominance, and we know this is not ideal for suspense. But attacks 100 km from the finish, like at the Worlds, require courage and strength and they happened, and then, when champions don't win, that's fine too."

Returning to the doping issue, compared to previous years, there are certainly fewer positives today, but according to the UCI president, this does not mean one can be complacent: having doubts is always legitimate, even when tests continue to be negative.

"As an organization, we must always have doubts. Being too certain is dangerous. We are at the forefront, constantly searching for new products. Among accredited laboratories, are they all able to detect with the same precision? The question resolves itself. If Alberto Contador tested positive, it's because the Cologne laboratory thoroughly investigated the plastic issue. Today we can reanalyze samples from ten years ago. We just did this on 300 samples from 2015; with current methods, we found a Chinese track cyclist positive from 2016. We preserve 15,000 samples per year. We spend ten million euros fighting doping, innovate, share information with ITA, collaborate with police; cycling is improving, but we must not be naive. The message is the same every year for 1,400 professional cyclists, men and women: if you cheat, be sure you will be caught eventually, because samples are preserved for ten years."