Night-time doping controls wake Pogacar and Vingegaard after Vosges stage

Pogacar was also surprised by the timing of the control. "Es war definitiv nicht schön, mitten aus meinen süßen Träumen herausgerissen zu werden", said the Slovenian to Eurosport before stage 15. "Ich gehe immer spät schlafen, aber es war trotzdem ein großer Schock." He had been controlled at five o'clock in the morning. "Ich habe vier Stunden Schlaf bekommen."

Both riders expressed understanding for the necessity of controls, but criticized their timing. "Es ist gut, dass sie testen, aber wenn es die Leistung beeinflusst und deinen Schlaf, dann denke ich nicht, dass es so gut ist. Hoffentlich bin ich am Ende nicht der Einzige, denn am Ende sollte es für jeden gleich sein. Es ist nicht so schön um zwei Uhr", said Vingegaard. Pogacar added: "Mir tut es auch leid für die Leute, die uns kontrollieren müssen, weil ich mir vorstellen kann, dass einige Fahrer aufgebracht und wütend werden. Aber es ist nicht deren Schuld."

Reactions from the teams

It was initially unclear how many professional cyclists in total were affected by the night-time operation. The International Testing Agency (ITA) did not "allow the Dane to sleep much" according to its own statements. The unannounced tests are permitted under the regulations. Following the controls without any objections, both riders were allowed to start as planned.

The teams UAE Emirates of Pogacar and Visma-Lease a Bike of Vingegaard expressed anger about the timing of the tests, as they massively disrupted the preparation for a hard mountain stage after two exhausting weeks. Doubts also constantly accompany the sport due to the recently strong performances of top riders such as Pogacar. From 1998 to 2009, various doping scandals in cycling had generated a mass of negative headlines.

Situation before the finale

Pogacar holds firmly onto the Yellow Jersey of the overall leader and has impressively won four of the stages of this Tour de France so far. As the wearer of the Yellow Jersey for the overall leader, Pogacar is already tested every day around the stage. Before the decisive week, he leads the second-placed Vingegaard by 4 minutes and 30 seconds. The third-placed Remco Evenepoel, a Red Bull professional, is 5 minutes and 4 seconds behind.

The coming week is considered decisive in the fight for the overall victory. It includes, among other things, two ascents of the Alpe d'Huez. The next hard stage of the Tour de France takes place on Sunday before the second rest day, finishing at the Plateau de Solaison.

Pogacar also tried to find positive aspects in the short night. "Ich hatte einen schönen langen Morgen, ich habe nicht mehr geschlafen. Ich habe gechillt und alte Eminem-Hits gehört. Und habe Kaffee getrunken", said the Slovenian. According to experts, the effects of the night-time tests on the riders' fatigue are expected around 5 pm.