"Our decisions are based on..." - ITA forced to prove impartiality during Tour de France night time testing
CyclingThursday, 23 July 2026 at 14:15
The International Testing Agency has been active at the Tour de France, but the difference in testing schedules has risen a debate about specific possibility of it bringing advantage to certain riders. The ITA has dismissed the idea that it has not been impartial during the race.
Overnight from stage 14 to 15, both Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar were amongst the riders tested in the middle of the night, having been woken up at their team hotels - at 2 and 5am respectively.
Later it became known through numerous reports that the wide-scale night testing has been carried out throughout the Tour, before and after stage 15 when the testing of the Tour's first and second in the overall classification - at that point in time - took place.
Is testing inequality affecting the Tour de France?
Between the 11pm and 6am time period, in which tests cannot be carried out without a specific reason and legal permission, other riders and teams have been tested. Bahrain - Victorious were one such during the opening phase of the race, and Matej Mohoric fired back at this, as it did not happen to other teams that featured key figures in the Tour.
Specifically, the Slovenian lashed out and put Paul Seixas on the spotlight as someone who didn't have to handle such a disrupting situation.
"We are paying for cycling’s past, but it would still be good to have limits, or at least ensure that the rules are the same for everyone," he argued. "Because we know that the Frenchman who occupies the top positions in the general classification has not been subjected to any checks of this kind.”
Matej Mohoric pointed out the differences in which the Tour de France teams are being subjected to doping tests
Read also
Impartial testing is key for the ITA
"The ITA is responsible for the anti-doping programme strategy for the Tour de France, not the AFLD (the French anti-doping agency, ed.). We have our own staff for the doping controls," the testing agency wrote in response to The Guardian.
The Tour de France is serving as a stage for some of the most intense testing in decades, with the authorities working different methods so as to potentially uncover very specific methods of performance enhancing.
This has been done under the knowledge that certain methods are only detectable under a very specific time range, and that the fact that under regular conditions riders can't be tested from 11pm to 6am could be used for this. "There are substances that remain detectable in the blood for only three hours," Decathlon CMA CGM Team rider Oliver Naesen argued this week.
"The AFLD may occasionally support the ITA with additional staff for doping controls, if necessary, for example during the testing mission on Monday evening, but the decision as to who is tested and when remains with the ITA".
"Our decisions are based on facts, risk assessments, performance, scientific findings and insights, intelligence and investigations, as well as data analysis. This approach enables us to act as accurately and impartially as possible, independent of external influences, political interests or opinions".
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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- > Imagine how many tight-lipped competent and available personnel would be required to descend on 10 teams simultaneously? You would need 10 persons only. Taking blood sample is not rocket science and any nurse or doctor can do that. Also nobody is talking about taking samples from whole teams but only from TOP10 riders fighting for GC.averagecyclist23-07-2026
- Due to the high bar of the evidence needed for testing, i expect Jonas and Pogi to text positive otherwise ITA is just bullshittingabstractengineer23-07-2026
- Ahhh poor Pogiboy. Didn’t see you moaning too much when it was western fans doing that against a western rider, which, using your methodology and analysis must be more than enough proof for you that dumb fans are not biased towards any one rider or his nationality but just general dyckheads. If you don’t have the level to separate those from the general population you’re just showing how desperate you must be for things to fit into the narrative you’ve chosen as truth, am sure you can think of which personality that seems to resemble most.Mistermaumau23-07-2026
- Firstly, seems like you are confusing ITA and AFLD where a biais would be more believable, secondly as I already suggested, any French bias would have seen testing of DT and RE instead of JV and TP. Moving on to big brain Plugge, obviously not very versed in the art of secrecy that is a prerequisite for this type of operation. Am already surprised TP was tested a whole 3 hours after JV and pretty sure by then someone at UAE was already aware something was on, you can’t keep such an event (2am ) from not being mentioned by someone to another and then another. Imagine how many tight-lipped competent and available personnel would be required to descend on 10 teams simultaneously? Imagine nobody noticing any preparations (very discreet gathering of known/unknown (if unknown once, certainly not next time) faces in one place. Imagine teams not noticing or sharing almost simultaneous requests for rider locations. Imagine it’s that easy to reach riders’ rooms anywhere in the middle of the night without being noticed. Remember how Lance could still dupe controllers only seconds away from him, read about how they have to test urine in tennis now because players discovered how to make as if they were peeing their current output, watch films in the line of Gattaca, keep informed on medical, mafia and business developments and stop being naive. Why would cycling suddenly be the only clean sport and that just when money is finally becoming interesting, why would « manufacturers » avoid cycling for sales, scruples?Mistermaumau23-07-2026
- Yeah, half an hour of TT is hardly comparable to over a dozen hours of tough long climbing. That’s like tweaking an Ironman down to 10 minutes of swimming. GTs should be including more time when riders have to perform on their own.Mistermaumau23-07-2026
- That’s not a sentenceMistermaumau23-07-2026
- I had another debate elsewhere following on from MM’s complaint which got some interesting comments, unfortunately it got closed just as it started getting interesting. 2 things I’ll carry over that I couldn’t suggest and haven’t been mentioned anywhere I checked: Firstly, the PS biais, sorry but that’s just not credible. If anyone up there had wanted to influence things like Trump tried (and failed) at Fifa (incidentally, did he really stoop so low to try to convince Rodri is his or was that a case of mistaken identity?) they would have tested Remco and Del Toro instead. Somebody’s best shot at proving being woken at night leads to accidents was a statistical argument regarding an increase of traffic incidents the day after clocks go forward. So firstly, assuming nobody adapted by going to bed earlier and secondly denying anyone might be driving differently because at some point they realised they’re later than expected or didn’t stick to their usual routine perfectly. As for today’s title, probably best if DT and PS leave the testing of Remco to the ITA, ride your own races guys, stop focusing on others, and DT, if Carapaz tries anything, remember your Giro.Mistermaumau23-07-2026
- Something not quite right in this story. They knew who you were or you stopped to exchange numbers? Obviously now you have theirs do they are identifiable and the text proves they knew there was an incident so technically they rode away from an accident without due paperwork. Not hard to deal with this correctly before telling the whole world of a tiny incident no worse than any cyclist has experienced. Always a bit weird when people get a voice to recount what would interest nobody should it come from citizen X.Mistermaumau23-07-2026
- The organisers’ optimism suggests that the Vuelta a España 2026 could feature one of the biggest possible attractions for cycling fans because of Tadej Pogačar - THE GOAT !!! The Spanish fans love Pogi, just like the Italians, on contrary, the French are giving him the middle finger (caught on camera)... the French are booing him (caught on camera)... the French media is implying or hinting that Pogi might be doping. What's going to be next... spitting or throwing urine into Pogi's face???mus-musculuspeedypogigonzales23-07-2026
- Love the guy but I hope he doesn't. We need a grand tour that has a genuine competition in it for GC.Cyclingsbestfan23-07-2026
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