ITA defends its officer who carried out an anti-doping test on a rider who had just lost her mother: "We have directly apologized"
Cycling
Anti-doping bodies are an important part of cycling. Thanks to their hard work, the community can live in an illusion that the current cycling is a clean sport. Part of their methods of ensuring the integrity of our sport is through "in-home visits" which can happen on any day of the year. But there still need to exist some limits, and the most recent case involving SD Worx - Protime professional Valentina Cavallar certainly crossed them.
International Testing Agency (ITA) officer visited Cavallar in her home this September. What would otherwise have played out as a routine control unexpectedly escalated into a drama when certain circumstances came to pubic knowledge thanks to Cavallar's Instagram post.
In short, the Austrian cyclist's mother just passed away hours prior to the doping officer's visit, who wasn't aware of the unique circumstances. Cavallar tells how she "had to undergo a doping control at home, in the room next to where my mum lay", a situation she described as "deeply painful, profoundly out of place and disrespectful towards my family".
Inevitably, her statement led to an immediate storm through social media channels. Whilst most expressed words of condolences and support to the grieving Cavallar, some have also argued that, in pursuit of clean sport, there shouldn't be any "off days" where riders may be exempt from testing. Even in extreme circumstances like was the case for Cavallar...
Apologies come... with a "but"
The responsible doping agency ITA later issued a statement via Velo where it provided words of support to Cavallar in the difficult life situation, as well as apologies for having crossed a border that shouldn't have been crossed.
"The International Testing Agency (ITA) extends its sincere condolences to Valentina Cavallar and her family following the loss of her mother."
"Since learning about the circumstances of the sample collection which took place on 5 September 2026 on Valentina Cavallar, the ITA looked into the context of the test."
"Neither the ITA nor the Doping Control Officer (DCO) were aware of the rider’s personal situation prior to arriving at her home. The DCO was informed of her mother’s passing upon arrival. According to the information gathered by the ITA since the rider’s Instagram post [Monday], Ms Cavallar and her family cooperated fully with the procedure, and no concerns or requests to postpone or discontinue the control were raised at the time or afterwards."
How out of competition testing works
Under cycling's whereabouts system, riders must submit their location during a 60-minute period each day when they will be available for testing. In the past, several riders have been penalized for not repeated failures to show up e.g. Romanian mountain-bike Vlad Dascalu, former Brazilian Movistar rider Vinicius Rangel, or most recently Ukrainian professional Kyrylo Tsarenko.
Cavallar's situation occurred was a result of tragic coincidence, which the ITA acknowledged as an "exceptionally sensitive situation."
The doping control officer "endeavoured to pursue the procedure as discreetly, respectfully and swiftly as possible" with Cavallar and her family's support, the ITA's statement continued.
The ITA had since reached out to Cavallar to directly apologize for the inconvenience caused: "We fully recognise that undergoing a doping control in these circumstances has added to her distress experienced at an extraordinarily painful time. We have been in touch with the rider directly and apologised."
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Regardless of this unpleasant experience, the ITA doesn't plan on slowing down in its efforts to enforce anti-doping policy, it stresses out: "The ITA remains committed to ensuring that the protection of clean sport goes hand in hand with respect, compassion and care for athletes."
"We will also continue to always encourage athletes to report any concerns either during or after a doping control, so the ITA can take the appropriate measures to ensure a proportionate balance between the fight against doping and every athlete’s right to privacy and wellbeing," the statement concludes.
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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