La Dernière Ascension

The world of professional cycling is in turmoil: in the most recent Tour de France, the top ten positions were taken exclusively by riders over eighty years old. What initially appears to be a bizarre sporting sensation quickly develops into an international scandal. Under pressure from the media, sponsors, and sporting federations, Interpol is called in to ensure that such an event can never happen again.

As the investigation gathers momentum, the agents uncover a web of silence, contradictory witness statements, and inexplicable medical findings. The closer they come to the truth, the clearer it becomes that far more than ordinary cheating lies behind the astonishing performances of these elderly athletes. Something is changing the rules of the game and perhaps even the limits of the human body itself.

The trail leads across Europe, from the mountain stages of the Tour to the back rooms of powerful organizations. But with every new clue, more questions arise: Who benefits from these events? Who is trying to sabotage the investigation? And what secret is so valuable that people are willing to risk everything to protect it?