Pogačar and Vingegaard Criticize Inhuman Pre-Dawn Doping Controls

Nighttime Testing and the Exit of Jonas Vingegaard

The Tour de France saw a major shift in its competitive landscape following stage 15, when two-time winner Jonas Vingegaard crashed and was forced to abandon the race. Vingegaard, 29, was in second place going into the stage but abandoned the race for the first time in six participations. He sustained a broken collarbone after his front wheel slid out while tackling a tight right-hand bend off a roundabout, causing him to land on his shoulder. His team, Visma-Lease a Bike, confirmed he will undergo surgery as a result.

The incident occurred just one day after Vingegaard was woken at 2:00 a.m. by ITA officials for a doping control. Vingegaard noted that the process lasted about 40 minutes and disrupted his rest. I thought that was not allowed, but apparently it is allowed according to the rules, Vingegaard said. It is good that they test us, but if it affects your performance, then I don’t think it’s good anymore. To check at 2 a.m., that is going a bit too far.

Race leader Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), who was also tested at 5:00 a.m. on that same Sunday, suggested the disrupted sleep could have contributed to the fatigue that led to the crash. The Tour will not be the same without him, said Pogačar. “It got me thinking, we had doping control they did [at] two in the morning [and] maybe this is also a reason. One night [and] your sleep is ruined and you can be a little less concentrated on the descent. I don’t blame that, but could be also a little bit connected. It’s really sad to see him leave.”

Remco Evenepoel’s Criticism of ITA Protocols

Stage 15 winner Remco Evenepoel emerged as a critic of the ITA’s scheduling. Following his victory on the Plateau de Solaison, the Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe leader used his press conference to call for the CPA—the professional riders’ association—to intervene against such practices. Evenepoel argued that sleep is the primary recovery tool for athletes in the world’s most demanding race.

It's something that actually we should not accept as riders, Evenepoel said. It's quite inhuman to wake us up in the middle of the night. Evenepoel added that the timing was “disrespectful” and noted, The CPA has to do something about that. It is inhuman to wake us up, we had a long transfer, and to wake them up like that is pretty disrespectful.

Evenepoel went as far as to suggest that if he were subjected to a 2:00 a.m. test, he would consider sending his team to wake the doping control officials in return. If I had had it [a night-time test] I would send my team to wake them up at two in the night because it's inhuman, he stated.

The UCI Anti-Doping Code and Regulatory Justifications

The International Testing Agency (ITA) maintains that its actions are necessary to ensure the effectiveness of the anti-doping program. In a statement provided to BBC Sport, the ITA acknowledged that night-time testing is disruptive but defended the practice as a vital tool for maintaining the integrity of cycling races. The ITA is conscious that night-time testing may be disruptive to riders' rest and recovery, the statement read. “Due consideration has therefore been given to minimise as much as possible the impact testing activities have on riders. However, the ITA, on behalf of the UCI, has the responsibility to ensure the effectiveness of the cycling anti-doping program and the integrity of cycling races. As such, effective testing must, in limited and justified circumstances, be capable to occur outside standard daytime hours.”

According to the UCI code, specifically article 5.2, the governing body is generally restricted from testing riders between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. unless specific criteria are met: “Unless the rider has identified a sixty minute testing window between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., or has otherwise consented to testing during that period, the UCI will not test a rider during that period unless it has a serious and specific suspicion that the Rider may be engaged in doping.”

While the regulation provides a framework for these interventions, the riders’ reaction suggests a significant disconnect. Pogačar stated that he totally accepts the irregular tests if this is necessary to prove that we are clean. As the Tour continues, the incident leaves the peloton grappling with the balance between clean sport mandates and the physical realities of competing in a Grand Tour.