Summary:
Doping seems to be well-organized and inherent in the system of
professional cycling. This paper provides a theoretical approach, by
using a multi-task (training and doping) principal-agent (team manager
and cyclist) model, to illustrate the information asymmetry and
conflicting objectives between both actors. Three settings are used to
represent different situations in which the fight against doping takes
place with varying intensity. The comparison of the equilibria in each
setting reveals the influence of the fight against doping on the team
members’ behaviour. The analysis shows that team managers are interested
in doping, and that current anti-doping institutions cannot
suppress the abuse of forbidden drugs.