Team Sky ‘used Viagra’ to examine performance benefits at altitude - report

Riders were handed the sex pill at a training camp while Team Sky was in its infancy, shortly after it was founded in 2010, the Daily Mail reports.

The paper says at least one cyclist was prescribed Viagra by their GP for an unknown reason.

Viagra is not on the World Anti-Doping Agency banned list, meaning no athlete caught taking the drug will have committed a violation, but there are calls for it to be banned given its ability to increase blood flow and oxygen delivery to muscles.

Don Catlin, an anti-doping expert, suggested some years ago that it could enhance performance in sports: “I thought there was some reason to be concerned about it and to put it on the (banned) list,” he said.

“There are credible scientific reports to show it is performance-enhancing in some circumstances, so I think it should be banned.

“There are also side-effects for people who don't have a legitimate medical need, so it's not a good idea for cyclists to try it without doing a study on it beforehand.”

British Cycling and Team Sky declined to comment on the issue.