UCI president backs night-time doping tests after Tour de France controversy

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David Lappartient says selective night testing is justified

‘We always have suspicion in cycling, due to our past’

The UCI president, David Lappartient, has said there will “always be suspicion in cycling” and insisted this year’s men’s Tour de France was clean. Lappartient, speaking at the start of stage two of the Tour de France Femmes in Aigle, also said he supported night-time testing during races in “exceptional cases”.

Tadej Pogacar, the five-time champion, and his rival Jonas Vingegaard were subjected to night-time tests, at 5am and 2am respectively , by the International Testing Agency (ITA) midway through this year’s race. “We will not support something they do every night on the riders. The normal hours [of testing] are not in the night,” said the head of cycling’s governing body.

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