Anti-doping labs on alert as powdered Aicar reported in Tour de France peloton

Aicar is a fat-burning agent that can now be delivered in powder form, dissolved in water, cola or an energy drink

The peloton on stage nine of the Tour de France 2019 (Photo by Tim de Waele/Getty Images)

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The doping agent Aicar, a muscle-enhancing and fat-burning drug, is believed to be back in the professional peloton at the Tour de France 2019, with anti-doping agencies put on alert after tip-offs from prominent, yet anonymous, figures within the world of cycling.

Aicar is produced naturally by the body, which makes it hard to test for artificial forms. The substance causes an increase in the body's red blood cells and increases fat and carbohydrate burning.

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Jonny was Cycling Weekly's Weekend Editor until 2022.

I like writing offbeat features and eating too much bread when working out on the road at bike races.

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