"We were also visited last night" - Remco Evenepoel and Red Bull team subject of overnight doping tests at Tour de France
CyclingTuesday, 21 July 2026 at 11:15
In the latest update in the Tour de France night doping test story, Red Bull - BORA Hansgrohe team manager Ralph Denk has confirmed that the team was also visited for night time tests on Monday night into Tuesday morning.
The news comes after Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard were the subject of nighttime tests, approved by a judge, by the International Testing Agency (ITA) on Saturday night before Sunday's key mountain stage. The tests were met by criticism over its timing by various teams and commentators.
One of the most vocal in criticism was now second placed Remco Evenepoel. Now, it's been reported that he and his teammates were also woken up during the night. According to a Kicker report, they were woken up at 10 pm and all eight riders of the team were subject to tests.
"We were also visited last night. Some of the drivers [riders, Ed.] were already asleep and went along with the checks," reported team manager Ralph Denk on ZDF's morning show.
Noting the interruption to riders' recovery ahead of Tuesday's stage 16 time trial, Denk acknowledged that the past history in the sport means that the testing can be regarded as a positive.
Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe
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Ralph Denk responds to Red Bull tests
“It certainly hinders recovery,” Denk said. “Primarily, we have a dark past in cycling, and therefore it’s good that checks are being carried out here."
The legal framework of doping tests allow for night testing during the race and Denk feels it adds credibility to the sport.
He added: “The regulations allow for checks to be carried out late at night. It ensures that our sport is clean, that it’s credible, and therefore this is part of it.”
It comes after the CPA released a statement crticising the night tests of Pogacar and Vingegaard, who were woken during the later hours of 5am and 2am respectively. The debate around the timing of the tests was also fuelled by Vingegaard's crash in the subsequent stage.
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"Night-time testing raises questions about its relevance: Interrupting their rest in the middle of the night for testing now warrants serious consideration," read the CPA's statement.
"The Tour de France is a competition that demands exceptional physical effort. The quality of sleep and recovery is essential not only for performance but also for the health and safety of the riders. It is clear that this practice hinders athletes’ recovery during the most important and difficult race on the global calendar and runs counter to the intended objectives."
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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- Terrible news of Florian Lipowitz crashing out. Wish him speedy recovery. It just reinforces the fact that victory is never certain until a rider crosses the finish line in Paris. I think the top 3 podium spots are going to be fought between Pogacar, Remco, Del Toro and Seixas barring any accidents.
PogiFan2Day21-07-2026 - If Paul rides within himself and only nears red on the final three mountain stages he will be on the podium. I said before the Tour started I didn't expect anything from him this Tour and that a top five, even a top ten would be an absolute success beyond imagination, being this is his first GT, if he podiums he needs to take a deal with Ineos immediately and he needs to run that team like Wiggins and Froome did.awp21-07-2026
- They didn't have the race in hand, they had the podium in hand.awp21-07-2026
- INEOS is getting worse. Not a top dog anymore.
KerisVroom21-07-2026 - They are testing but are they Lance era testing or active testing. Lance era was "oh, looks a bit high but he is a big drawl...it's fine". Active is, positive pull them out of the race and banmd197521-07-2026
- it hinders recover if you're using epo for recoverywhkman21-07-2026
- Success usually corrupts and makes one arrogant. This is very impressive.KerisVroom21-07-2026
- Marc Reef: We had the race in our hands, and we were ready to give it a shot with him We had the race in our hands? Someone else needs to be tested for something else with this comment. Jonas was barely top 5 the day prior.mij21-07-2026
- this is a ridiculous comment, no basis behind this.mij21-07-2026
- The article states, "The judge, according to the sports code, must verify that there are "serious and consistent suspicions" that the specific riders have violated anti-doping rules or could do so". Since only Pogacar and Jonas were tested, I would like to know what was the serious and consistent suspicion that made them the subject of the testing? For context, several riders broke the time record on the Tourmalet and the Peleton has broken some long standing average speed records. No reason to just suspect the two of them.PogiFan2Day21-07-2026
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