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🇫🇷 France /Sports

Tour de France: Cyclists' union defends Pogacar and Vingegaard over nighttime doping controls, calls for more effective fight

From Le Figaro · () French

Translated from French, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • The professional cyclists' union (CPA) criticized nighttime anti-doping controls for Tour de France riders.
  • The CPA argues these intrusive checks disrupt crucial rest and recovery, potentially harming rider health and safety.
  • The union suggests investing more in scientific research and detection technology over frequent, disruptive controls.

The professional cyclists' union (CPA) has voiced strong opposition to nighttime anti-doping controls targeting top Tour de France contenders. In a statement released Monday, the CPA defended riders Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard, who underwent checks in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The nighttime controls raise questions about their relevance: interrupting their rest in the middle of the night for controls deserves serious reflection.

— CPAThe union's statement questioning the practice of nighttime anti-doping controls.

The union reaffirmed its commitment to a robust anti-doping fight but questioned the relevance and impact of these nocturnal tests. "Interrupting their rest in the middle of the night for controls deserves serious reflection," the CPA stated, emphasizing that sleep and recovery are vital for performance, health, and safety during the demanding Tour de France.

The CPA highlighted that such practices can hinder athlete recovery in the world's most challenging race, contradicting the goals of fair competition. The union also pointed to the significant financial contributions from professional cycling to anti-doping efforts, comparing the 10 million euros sent to the International Testing Agency for sample collection and analysis with the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) $5 million annual investment in fundamental research.

The quality of sleep and recovery is an essential element not only for performance but also for the health and safety of the riders.

— CPAExplaining the negative impact of disrupted sleep on cyclists.

"Wouldn't it be more opportune to invest more in scientific research and detection technologies, rather than multiplying particularly intrusive surprise controls?" the CPA questioned, suggesting a shift in strategy towards more advanced detection methods.

Wouldn't it be more opportune to invest more in scientific research and detection technologies, rather than multiplying particularly intrusive surprise controls?

— CPASuggesting an alternative approach to anti-doping efforts.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Le Figaro in French. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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