Judge Clears Night Doping Tests That Woke Pogacar and Vingegaard

Overview

• The International Testing Agency obtained judicial approval to carry out unannounced tests that woke Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard during the night of July 18–19, a move confirmed by the Paris prosecutor’s office and reported by multiple outlets.
• Hours after the nocturnal checks, Vingegaard crashed in the 15th stage, abandoned the Tour with a fractured clavicle and is due to have surgery, while Pogacar said he slept only four hours before racing.
• The ITA and the UCI defended rare night controls as lawful and sometimes necessary to detect micro‑dosing, while the ITA acknowledged such tests can disturb riders’ rest and recovery.
• The riders' union (CPA) and several teams have publicly called for a review of night testing practices, Visma has opened inquiries into why Vingegaard was targeted at 2:00 a.m., and a broader set of evening checks was carried out on the race rest day.
• Under UCI rules and the French Code du sport, night tests between 23:00 and 06:00 are allowed only in limited circumstances that require serious, specific suspicions or judicial sign‑off, a legal framework now at the center of debate over athlete safety, fairness and anti‑doping strategy.