Riders criticize late-night drug tests at Tour de France
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Jul 21, 2026, 4:42 PM
Last updated Jul 21, 2026
Late-night anti-doping tests at the Tour de France have drawn backlash from riders, particularly after Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard were tested at 5 AM. The tests, which occurred outside the usual window, prompted concerns over sleep disruption affecting performance. Vingegaard, who later crashed and abandoned the race, questioned the equity of the testing timing. The International Testing Agency maintains the need for such tests to ensure integrity amid doping concerns. Both Pogačar and Vingegaard were specifically selected for testing with no disclosure on the reasons for their selection.
- •Late-night tests sparked concerns about rider sleep and recovery.
- •Pogačar reported getting only four hours of sleep after testing.
- •Vingegaard questioned the fairness of the early testing times.
- •Both riders were tested outside of the standard testing window.
- •Results will only be disclosed if an anti-doping rule violation is apparent.
- 4:42 PMYahoo Sports — Late-Night Drug Tests Spark Backlash, Intrigue at Tour de France
"Riders are pushing back on rare overnight anti-doping tests.
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