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The UCI has weighed in on the the flood of opinions on doping tests at the Tour de France in an official press release. These tests were—as became apparent around the time Jonas Vingegaard crashed out of the race—also administered at night during this particular Tour. According to the international cycling federation, there is nothing wrong with that.
The UCI felt compelled to act after analysts, journalists, riders, and cycling teams continued to debate doping testing at this year’s Tour de France during the final days of the race. The news broke last Sunday when Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard announced before the start of Stage 15 that they had been tested in the middle of the night.
In the days that followed, it turned out that the International Testing Agency (ITA) had also visited many other teams. The criticism was harsh, as voices from all sides emphasized that a good night’s sleep is a crucial factor during a grueling three-week Grand Tour. A statement from the ITA did little to ease the tension. The agency focused primarily on its responsibility in the fight against doping.
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UCI responds to debate over doping tests
The UCI is one of the organisations the ITA has been working for since 2021. And so the cycling federation apparently felt the need to respond to the criticism—which was, indirectly, directed at them. In addition to the popular one-liner that the fight against doping is a top priority for the cycling federation, they also addressed in greater detail the nighttime testing during this Tour de France in particular.
"The UCI of course acknowledges that night-time testing can disrupt riders' rest and recovery, and wishes to reiterate that carrying out such controls outside normal hours remains an exceptional measure, reserved for limited and justified circumstances," the statement reads.
So what are those circumstances? The UCI remains vague, stating only: “The fight against doping.” The UCI "supports the ITA's use of every means at its disposal to carry out its mission as effectively as possible, in compliance, naturally, with the World Anti-Doping Code of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).”
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UCI will stand firmly behind ITA
If the ITA operates within the rules governing doping control in that country, then, according to the UCI, there is no problem. "The UCI considers it essential that all stakeholders unite and support the anti-doping programme in place in cycling, which is now recognised by the relevant sporting authorities as a benchmark in this field."
The cycling federation emphasizes that all parties involved in cycling collectively contribute 10 million euros per year toward “the collection, analysis and re-analysis of samples, as well as in intelligence-gathering, across events falling within the UCI's regulatory remit, including the Tour de France,” the statement continues. "The UCI will continue to support the ITA in carrying out its mission, in full and complete respect for its independence, in the service of a cleaner and more credible sport of cycling," it finishes.
