Tour de France: Lance Armstrong calls out-of-hours doping tests a 'human rights violation'

Former cycling champion Lance Armstrong has spoken out against the International Testing Agency's (ITA) decision to conduct out-of-hours doping controls on Tour de France riders Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard. The cyclists were reportedly woken up in the early hours of the morning for testing, a practice Armstrong described as a "violation of human rights."

"They came into his room at two in the morning, knocked on the door and woke him up in the middle of the Tour," Armstrong said on his podcast, The Move. "Testing at two in the morning is a violation of human rights. I am speechless."

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They came into his room at two in the morning, knocked on the door and woke him up in the middle of the Tour. Testing at two in the morning is a violation of human rights. I am speechless.

Armstrong, who was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles for doping, argued that sleep is crucial for athletes competing in the world's most demanding cycling race. While acknowledging the need for testing, he stressed that it should not occur in the middle of the night during such a critical event. His stance aligns with the majority of the peloton, who also expressed concerns about the disruptive nature of these tests.

The ITA, responsible for anti-doping efforts since 2021, defended the controls, stating they were conducted outside the usual hours of 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. The agency's justification for these measures, however, has not appeased critics like Armstrong, who believe the methods infringe upon athletes' basic rights and well-being.

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It's the hardest sporting event in the world. Sleep is essential. Nobody here is saying don't test, but don't test in the middle of the night. Not during the hardest sporting event in the world.