Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard were woken in the middle of the night for a surprise doping test between two difficult mountain stages of the Tour de France. The Dane was tested around 2 a.m. and the yellow jersey wearer around 5 a.m. Both riders complained that the timing had severely disrupted their sleep and recovery.
Vingegaard woke up at 2 a.m.
The doping control officers knocked on Jonas Vingegaard's door around 2 a.m. on Sunday morning. The Visma-Lease a Bike leader explained that he initially thought a doping test couldn't be carried out at such a late hour. The two-time Tour de France winner took about 40 minutes to get back to sleep. Before the start of the 15th stage, he asserted that he felt well enough to race, while also denouncing the consequences of this late-night intervention.
« I think it's good to test us, but not when it affects our performance or our sleep. Testing at 2 a.m. is going too far in my opinion."That's unacceptable," said Jonas Vingegaard. His teammate Matteo Jorgenson expressed even more anger. The American denounced a lack of respect for riders who dedicate their entire evening to recovery, especially between two days in the high mountains.. "We make a huge effort to try and recover, it's crucial, especially between two such tough mountain stages. And then they wake you up at 2 a.m. It makes me furious.", he explained.
Pogacar only slept four hours
Tadej Pogacar was tested approximately three hours after his rival, around 5 a.m. The Slovenian claimed to have slept only four hours and was unable to fall back asleep after the testers left. The yellow jersey wearer said he listened to old Eminem tracks and drank several coffees while waiting for his team to wake up. He presented himself at the start, describing himself as "over-caffeinated"While maintaining a relaxed tone, Pogacar was careful not to directly accuse those who came to collect the sample. He felt they were simply following instructions and that the responsibility for the timing lay with those who had scheduled the test. The Slovenian also pointed out that he was already tested daily because of his yellow jersey. Random tests can be added to these systematic checks, but he hadn't expected to be woken up in the middle of the night.
A check between two arrivals at altitude
This intervention was organized after the 14th stage, won by Tadej Pogacar at Le Markstein. The four-time Tour winner secured his fourth stage victory since the start in Barcelona and extended his lead over Jonas Vingegaard to 4 minutes and 30 seconds in the general classification. The two men were scheduled to resume racing a few hours later on the 15th stage, a 183,9km route between Champagnole and the Solaison plateau. The course included several difficult climbs and a hors catégorie finish at the end of an 11,3km ascent averaging 9,1%. Sleep and recovery are crucial between mountain stages. Teams meticulously plan their leaders' meals, treatments, massages, and bedtimes. The 2 a.m. wake-up call for Vingegaard and the 5 a.m. wake-up call for Pogacar therefore disrupted their entire preparation before one of the most demanding days of the Tour.
Controls entrusted to an independent body
The Tour de France's anti-doping operations are conducted by the International Testing Agency (ITA). This independent body has managed the Union Cycliste Internationale's (UCI) anti-doping program since 2021. Tests can be carried out during competition or unannounced. They allow for the verification of riders' blood and urine samples, which are then added to their biological passports. No abnormal results were announced for Pogacar or Vingegaard following the samples taken overnight.
