Overview
- Tadej Pogacar cemented his control with a win at Le Markstein that extended his margin over rivals, a result reported across major outlets on Saturday.
- Race leaders Jonas Vingegaard and Pogacar were both woken for anti‑doping checks overnight before the next stage, with reports saying Vingegaard was tested around 02:00 and Pogacar around 05:00.
- Remco Evenepoel won the 15th stage on the Plateau de Solaison, beat Pogacar on the final climb and moved up to second in the overall standings after Vingegaard crashed and withdrew with a suspected clavicle fracture.
- Teams and riders publicly criticised the timing of the night controls as disruptive to sleep and recovery, while authorities note the ITA runs a targeted testing programme and cite UCI rules plus French legal provisions that can permit night checks.
- The race now pauses for a rest day before a 26 km time trial that will shape the final week, with Evenepoel seen as a strong contender and organisers facing scrutiny over testing procedures and their possible competitive effects.