I mean, we are all human, so none of us can escape the thoughts that cycling of the past gives us.... we all live with those experiences.
However, unless we start hearing rumours of some new method, I trust that cycling is the most closely monitored sport in the world, and that it's too difficult to cheat with any great effect these days.
I want to believe he is a cheery, personable, 24 year old fellow from Ukraine, who just got his major breakthrough.
After all, he did win the Adriatica Ionica race, against fairly good opposition, pre-Covid, and he got 5th (incl. a stage win ahead of Sivaskov) when he rode the Bay Giro as a 20 year old - so it is not a development outside the realm of possibility - especially since it was stage wins from breakaways, as an "unknown entity", not a GC result![]()
Padun did mention that he had trouble with his weight and if you could replay the interview you can see his profile picture looks like the face of a guy 20 to 30 pounds heavier than he looked from the camera motorbike. He may have the problem some riders have that when they aren't in training or comeptition they can gain a lot of weight. I think he also said something pertaining to learning about dieting habits. He may have already had the power to sustain these type of results but not the discipline to keep his weight in check. I hope this is the answer and I think it is but we will see in the future. He seems like a really good kid and hope he can be at or near the top however that may be whether that is stage hunting, General Classification 1 week or GTs or even if he can do well on One Day races or the ability to be a Dom or a super Domestique(sp).