"The ITA is doing exactly what it was created to do" - Tour director defends late night doping controls
Cycling
Cycling might never get rid of its gloomy past of doping history. And so, despite the anti-doping authorities best efforts including frequent in and off-competition testing, public is carefully pessimistic every time the current professionals perform superb feats.
The topic once again resurfaced last Sunday when it come to light then first two riders of general classification Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard have both been visited by anti-doping officers in their hotels during late night hours ahead of a key mountain stage.
Some refer to UCI rulebook which permits such acitivity by the acting anti-doping body, in case of a serious suspicion of foul play. Others like Matej Mohoric see the timing of visits too convenient whilst French hopeful Paul Seixas has been spared.
Ahead of the grand finale on Alpe d'Huez, Tour director Christian Prudhomme has been asked about the ITA's acitivity.
"We fought for an independent agency, and now we have it," he said. "I have no intention of interfering with their work. Not only am I not informed, but I shouldn't be. I learn about the controls at exactly the same time you do, and often even later. I don't receive any advance information, and I shouldn't."
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Doing their job
Whilst Pogacar continues in the same dominant fashion and will enter the final weekend with a 7-minute lead, Vingegaard might've been impacted by the late night visit. The Dane crashed in the later phase of stage 15 later that afternoon and abandoned the race with broken collarbone. Later, he admitted the interruption of his sleep "certainly did not help".
Prudhomme, however, had no hesitation in defending the ITA's work. "The ITA is doing exactly what it was created to do," he stated. "I fully understand the riders' emotions, but we wanted an independent agency. That's exactly what we got, and that's what we've always asked for."
Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar chat before the start of a stage 15
The Tour director also recalled a significant historical moment. In 2008, the race was organized without the direct involvement of the International Cycling Union, precisely to allow anti-doping controls to be managed completely independently of the French Cycling Federation, a decision that marked a turning point in the credibility of the fight against doping. According to Prudhomme, nighttime controls are simply one of the tools available to investigators today.
"Of course, this type of testing can't be done every evening. In this case, they were performed between two mountain stages, but that's precisely the role of the ITA."
"Pogacar is an extraordinary talent"
The main target of doping speculations is naturally the reigning world champion. Tadej Pogacar is well on his way to secure a fifth Tour de France title, equalling Jacques Anquetil, Bernard Hinault, Eddy Merckx, and Miguel Indurain. And the Slovenian is about to do so in an outstanding fashion.
"Pogacar has shown extraordinary qualities from a very young age. At twenty, he had already reached the podium of the Vuelta a España, even winning stages. He's an exceptional talent."
Finally, Prudhomme offered a thought that will spark discussion beyond the cycling world. "I wonder if these types of checks are carried out with the same intensity in other major sports, including the most popular in the world, football. Personally, I'm not so sure."
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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- That 3000 extra that the Tour de France is built up in the flat stages
Rafionain-Glas04-11-2026 - maybe this is something else they can protest in the streets of France.mij04-11-2026
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- yeah... you're right...PogiSloFans04-11-2026
- Podcast sounds great. Two so called experts stating the f*cking obvious.wrsty04-11-2026
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