SerpApi.Org
Because the International Testing Agency (ITA) only communicates in the event of a positive result, tests like those carried out in recent days at the Tour de France can be considered negative after a few weeks, once samples have been analyzed and legal reviews completed.
In charge of anti-doping in cycling since 2018, the International Testing Agency (ITA) cannot reveal or confirm the identity of the riders tested, nor can it communicate in the event of a negative result, as this information belongs exclusively to the athletes. The independent body of the International Cycling Union (UCI) also safeguards the confidentiality of its methods to ensure unpredictability and strengthen effectiveness.
The controversy over the nighttime tests of Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar, on the night from Saturday to Sunday, could therefore only arise from the riders’ own revelations. Other athletes may have been tested in this unusual time window between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. in the past, since French law has allowed it since a 2015 ordinance, but this is indeed the first time riders have publicly spoken about it.
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To carry out these exceptional tests, the ITA had to refer the matter to a judge and justify “serious and corroborating suspicions”, a criterion open to interpretation, which could stem from a desire to intensify the anti-doping fight by using the full range of regulatory resources available. In 2022, the ITA also received a 35% increase in contributions to its budget, which strengthened the resources at its disposal and enabled it to launch other projects, such as the feasibility study of a performance-monitoring passport.
Samples can be kept for up to ten years and reanalyzed
The results of the nighttime tests — like all those carried out on several teams in recent days — will only be known in a few weeks. Samples are first sent to different laboratories for an average of a week of examination, even if timelines vary. In the event of an initial positive result, an additional analysis can be conducted, then a first legal review is possible in the case of a therapeutic use exemption.
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If the result is positive, the ITA issues a public sanction — the UCI delegated this legal component to it in February to strengthen its independence. The absence of communication after several weeks therefore means the test results are negative. Under the World Anti-Doping Code, samples can nevertheless be stored for up to ten years after their initial analysis and retain the same legal validity if they are reanalyzed.
