Pogacar and Vingegaard woken at 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. for doping tests before Tour's crucial Alpine stage

The tests

In the night of 18 to 19 July, anti-doping inspectors from the International Testing Agency (ITA) visited the hotels of Tour de France leader Tadej Pogacar and second-placed Jonas Vingegaard. Pogacar was tested at 5 a.m., Vingegaard at 2 a.m., both riders confirmed before the start of Sunday's 15th stage. Unannounced testing between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. has been permitted since 2016, but the timing drew sharp criticism. Pogacar, who wears the yellow jersey and is tested daily, said he had gone to bed late and managed only four hours of sleep. Vingegaard estimated he was out of his room for about 40 minutes. Only the two of them among the top ten were targeted, according to reports.

Riders' reactions

Pogacar described the experience as a shock.

I couldn't fall back to sleep. It was definitely not nice to wake up in the middle of sweet dreams.

He added that he listened to old Eminem songs and drank coffee, arriving "supercharged with caffeine". He stressed that the testers were only doing their job and should not be blamed. Vingegaard was woken at 2 a.m.

I was sleeping very well, but somebody knocked on my door at 2 a.m., big surprise to me. Of course, it's good that they test, but when it's affecting performance and your sleep, I don't think it's so good.

He called 2 a.m. tests excessive and said he had thought such controls were not allowed.

Team and official backlash

Teammates voiced stronger anger. Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike) called it "a total lack of respect for the riders", saying recovery is crucial between two hard mountain stages. Florian Vermeersch (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) said the situation was "almost inhuman and senseless" and noted Pogacar slept only about five hours. Pascal Chanteur, president of the UNCP and riders' representative, denounced "harassment" and "targeted controls".

The riders are under surveillance. On a Tour de France, testing a rider at 2 a.m., is that really reasonable for recovery and the health of the riders?

He added that cycling invests 10 million euros annually in anti-doping and called for more respect for the athletes.

Stage 15 ahead

The 15th stage is a 183.9 km mountainous ride from Champagnole to the Plateau de Solaison, with a summit finish rated hors catégorie. The stage started at 1:20 p.m. local time. Both Pogacar and Vingegaard said they felt the effects of lost sleep but were ready to race. Vermeersch speculated the disruption might even give Pogacar extra motivation. The stage is the first of three consecutive days in the high mountains, making recovery especially critical.