Tour de France: When the doping controller knocks at Pogacar and Vingegaard's door at night

The intense scrutiny of professional cycling extended into the night for Tour de France stars Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard, who were subjected to doping tests in the early hours of July 19. The cyclists reported being woken up by anti-doping officials, disrupting their sleep schedules.

“

I got four hours of sleep.

Tadej Pogacar, wearing the yellow jersey, described the experience as a "big shock," despite going to bed late. He was tested around 5 a.m. and managed only four hours of sleep before the 15th stage. "It was definitely not nice to be ripped out of my sweet dreams," Pogacar said with a smile, acknowledging the necessity of the tests while expressing his personal discomfort.

“

It was definitely not nice to be ripped out of my sweet dreams.

His main rival, Jonas Vingegaard, also faced a similar late-night test. Vingegaard reported that someone knocked on his door at 2 a.m., calling it a "big surprise." While he stated he slept well initially, the interruption was unwelcome. The control process reportedly took 40 minutes.

“

I have to say that someone rang my doorbell at two o'clock in the morning. That was a big surprise for me.

Vingegaard voiced concerns about the timing of such tests, suggesting they could affect rider performance. "It's good that they test, but if it affects performance and your sleep, then I don't think it's that good," he commented. He emphasized the importance of equal application of testing rules for all riders.

“

It's good that they test, but if it affects performance and your sleep, then I don't think it's that good. Hopefully I'm not the only one in the end, because in the end it should be the same for everyone. It's not so nice at two o'clock.