ITA denies claim Paul Seixas was favoured by Tour's nighttime testing

Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar were tested at 2am and 5am, respectively, ahead of stage 15 on Sunday, with L’Équipe reporting that the ITA had requested the necessary permission from a judge to carry out the nighttime controls.

Matej Mohoric revealed that he was tested at 5am on the morning of the stage 16 time trial, and the Slovenian claimed that the test had been carried out by the French anti-doping agency the AFLD. He complained that Seixas, currently fourth on GC, had not undergone an overnight test.

“It would be good to guarantee equal treatment for everyone. After all, we know that this French rider, who is well placed in the general classification, didn’t undergo that test,” Mohoric said.

In a statement to the Guardian, the ITA denied that it displayed any favouritism in its testing, and it also explained that the AFLD did not decide which riders would be targeted for controls. 

“The ITA is responsible for the strategy of the anti-doping programme for the Tour de France, not the AFLD. We have our own sample collection personnel for the doping controls,” the ITA said.

“AFLD might occasionally support the ITA with additional sample collection personnel, if needed, for instance during the testing mission on Monday evening, but the decision who is tested when remains with the ITA.

“Our decisions are based on facts, risk assessments, performances, scientific results and insights, intelligence and investigations, as well as data analysis. This approach enables us to act as precisely and impartially as possible, independently of any external influence, political interest or opinion.”

Like the rest of the Tour peloton, Seixas and his Decathlon CMA CGM team underwent routine tests on Monday evening as part of the biological passport programme. Pogacar and the since departed Vingegaard are the only GC contenders on the Tour to have publicly confirmed being tested outside the normal testing window that runs from 6am to 11pm.

Visma | Lease a Bike manager Richard Plugge said that he was not opposed to overnight controls, but he expressed a preference that all GC contenders would undergo testing at the same time.

“If you want to safeguard the integrity of the sport, every podium contender should receive the same treatment, in my opinion,” Plugge said, according to L’Équipe. “The purpose of anti-doping is that everyone is treated equally. And if the ITA believes that nighttime controls are the best way to proceed, then that is probably the best way.”

The UCI has acknowledged that nighttime testing “can disrupt riders’ rest and recovery” but it expressed support for what it described as an ‘exceptional measure’, noting: “While fully aware of how onerous such a measure is for riders, the UCI nevertheless underscores that these controls serve an overriding interest: the fight against doping.”