PARIS: Cyclists who dope themselves with EPO may not gain any performance advantage even though they are putting their health at risk, scientists said on Thursday.

In a review of the evidence, a team of European researchers scoffed at the entrenched notion that EPO gives cyclists an edge.

Lance Armstrong was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles in October after United States Anti-Doping Authority found him guilty of systemic doping, including use of EPO, during his career. Credit:AP

And they pointed out that the drug has many perils for those who use it illicitly, including blood clots that can cause strokes and heart attacks.

"Athletes and their medical staff may believe EPO enhances performance, but there is no evidence that anyone performed good experiments to check if EPO would actually improve performance in elite cyclists," said Adam Cohen, a professor at the Centre for Human Drug Research in the Netherlands.