"It is inhuman" - Remco Evenepoel defends Pogacar and Vingegaard's middle of the night doping tests
CyclingMonday, 20 July 2026 at 12:50
Remco Evenepoel has taken one of the biggest victories of his career this Sunday at the Tour de France, his first mountain stage at the Grand Boucle. He has spoken bout it, how he prepared for it and his feelings towards the controversial timing of the recent doping tests for Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard.
Evenepoel angry with timing of doping tests
"I can't speak for the guys about their focus and how they manage competition, I only think I can say it is very disrespectful to wake up guys at 2am and 5am, " Evenepoel said in a press conference, as reported by Cyclingnews. "The CPA has to do something about that. It is inhuman to wake us up, we had a long transfer, and to wake them up like that is pretty disrespectful."
Before the stage, the Olympic champion had already voices out his thoughts on the matter, but his opinion hasn't subsided one bit following the terrific day he had on the bike. Evenepoel maintains a strong stance that within those hours, such tests should not be permitted so as to not come in the way of riders' recovery during such a difficult event.
"If I had had it I would send my team to wake them up at two in the night because it's inhuman. It's something we could and should not accept," he states.
"Sleep is the only moment we have to recover. This is the hardest race in the world, it makes it even harder. It's a shame it had to happen, and I hope it doesn't happen any more."
Remco Evenepoel at the Tour de France
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One of Evenepoel's best victories ever
The Belgian, before this press conference, took the victory on the Plateau de Solaison. It happened not in the way the team had envisioned, but with a very strong effect without a doubt. "Our idea was to keep the pace as long as possible, at least 7, 8 kilometres into the climb, but then Tadej put down a high pace, and I knew I had to follow".
"Evenepoel performed brilliantly, reportedly putting in 6.77W/Kg for around 32 minutes - potentially his best climbing effort ever. The steep and relentless gradients meant the riders had no choice but to be close to the limit the entire effort.
"It was going really fast, but like I said this morning, today was a climb to go all out to the finish. However, in the last six kilometres I felt I could really recover, I had some confidence in my sprint, particularly when Del Toro made his last attack. It was a good tactic for today's victory," he explained.
Evenepoel didn't believe he could beat Tadej Pogacar in such a way, but that was ultimately the case: "For the last few years, Tadej has just been outstanding; whenever he's got a chance of the win, he grabs it. So whenever there is an opportunity, you have to grab it, and try to do it."
"For me, on such a hard climb, it's a new experience, and of course it needs good preparation. With the shape and body I have, it's not like performances like this just come naturally, but whenever I can do it, I have to go for it."
It saw him move up to second place in the overall classification, something he should solidify even further during this Tuesday's time trial on Lake Geneva.
"To win a mountain stage in the Tour ahead of one of the best riders ever, to be the only one to stay with Isaac, who won on this mountain and who's one of the best riders in the world, it's crazy. It's one of my most beautiful victories," he concluded.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- We'll never know, but what evidence?... an anonymous phone tip from some rabid Seixas fan? Certainly not a team car full of dope and paraphernalia or a bunch of used syringes in a trash bag at the race finish.mrvco21-07-2026
- True. If you going to test for doping though, between two tough mountain stages is the right time to test beacuse that is when they might need it most.
Andrew21-07-2026 - cycling has been dirty forever, really not sure why no one is giving the testers the benefit of the doubtwhkman21-07-2026
- None of us really know what goes on behind closed doors but it is very suspicious to wake these riders up the day before a big mountain stage while they are still recovering from the mountain stage the day before. I have to go to bed, it's almost 2am lolawp21-07-2026
- And you’re free to believe that as I am free not to believe it regardless of who my neighbours or work colleagues support.Andrew21-07-2026
- And you know that how? Did Pog call you, message you?Andrew21-07-2026
- being reported that as many as 8 teams were tested at late hours and from Benjamin Cohen, head of ITA in April: “I don’t think you would want to do mass testing at the Tour de France, for example, and wake up all the athletes at 3am — that doesn’t make sense. I think you would need to have very concrete suspicions (about an athlete) and use that in a very cautious manner. “I wouldn’t advocate for mass night testing, but certainly for some flexibility if you believe that there is an issue.” so really doesn't seem like he's crazy about testing and thinks they should need evidence for late night testing. and here we are, they went to a judge and got the ok so I think they have credible evidencewhkman21-07-2026
- "a bit much" is an understatement.whkman21-07-2026
- UAE will suffocate Remco in the big mountains !frieders321-07-2026
- the ita obviously only had evidence on the riders that were tested and took it to the judge and the judge ok'd the 2am and 5am tests. maybe seixas is doped up who knows? but they didn't have any evidence on him to bring to a judge. anyone who thinks the French are biased has forgotten Festina.whkman21-07-2026
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