Pogačar and Vingegaard Woken Overnight for Surprise Anti-Doping Tests Before Decisive Tour de France Stage

Tour de France rivals Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard both confirmed they were woken during the night by anti-doping controllers just hours before Sunday’s decisive Alpine mountain stage.

The International Testing Agency has stepped up testing throughout the 2026 Tour and pledged to conduct more than 600 anti-doping controls, including surprise visits to team hotels before and after stages.

Vingegaard said officials knocked on his hotel room door at 2 a.m. and disrupted his sleep before one of the Tour’s most important climbing stages ending atop the HC Plateau de Solaison.

“The ITA didn’t allow me to sleep much. I was sleeping very well, but then somebody knocked on my door at 2 a.m.,” Vingegaard told Eurosport at the start of stage 15 Sunday. “It was a big surprise for me.”

The Dane questioned whether overnight testing should interfere with riders’ recovery.

“It’s good that they test, but when it’s affecting your performance and your sleep, I don’t think it’s so good. In the end, hopefully I am not the only one, because it has to be equal for everyone,” he said. “It’s not the nicest at two o’clock.”

Pogačar also confirmed he was also tested overnight, though a few hours later.

“I got four hours of sleep today. Not (at) 2:00 am in the morning, because they were [there at] 5:00 in the morning,” Pogačar told reporters at the start.

“But I always go to sleep late. It was a big shock for me also to get four hours of sleep today. But I had a very cool long morning. I couldn’t fall back to sleep, so I was chilling, listening to some old Eminem hits, and making coffees, so I over-caffeinated,” Pogačar said.

“I was ready to start the day, but it was definitely not nice to wake up in the middle of sweet dreams.”

ITA promises more surprise controls in 2026 Tour

Pogačar is routinely tested after stage victories and while leading the race, but said surprise hotel visits are also part of the ITA’s program.

“And also, they come randomly in the mornings through the Tour,” he said. “And today they chose nighttime.”

The ITA has said it will conduct more than 600 anti-doping controls during this year’s Tour, including unannounced visits to team hotels. Such overnight controls are rarely discussed publicly so Sunday’s comments were a rare glimpse into the testing program.

It’s unclear if other riders were tested. Velo has contacted the ITA for comment.

Vingegaard said the testing process kept him away from his room for about 40 minutes.

“It took me about 40 minutes before I was back in my room,” he said. “It was not the best night, I still feel OK, it’s not the best night. I cannot change it and that’s a part of it.”

The two-time Tour champion began Sunday’s stage 4:30 behind Pogačar in the overall standings but insisted his goal remains the yellow jersey.

“I will do absolutely everything I can do to win this race. I am not here for a second place or a third, I am here to try to win it, that’s what I am going to try to do.”