The objective of this article is to understand how the specific interactions between actors involved in the production of performance influence the socialization process by which cyclists learn their job. In particular, we try to understand how these interactions determine the reported attitudes towards doping products and methods. We focused on the interactions within the work group to understand how young cyclists learn their job. While analysing this organization of work, our goal is to understand how it influences the perception of the use of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs). We compared socialization of young elite and U23 cyclists in Belgium, France and Switzerland. We analysed the economic, legal and organizational conditions in each country, and we conducted 70 semi-structured interviews with cyclists and their staff.

This paper focuses on the transformation of French public policy on doping and its effects on the life of cycling professionals. We first focus on the emergence and the evolution of French public policies against doping in cycling. Then the article attempts to qualitatively observe the effects of policies on cyclists. The objective is to understand how the cycling culture is evolving. This article is based on 39 interviews with new and seasoned professionals, as well as ethnographic observations over a dozen years.