UCI defends night-time anti-doping tests at Tour de France
Read a summary of this article on FAST.
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST
Tap here to return to FAST
FAST
VOIRON, France, July 22 : The governing body of world cycling (UCI) on Wednesday defended night-time anti-doping tests at the Tour de France after controls involving race leader Tadej Pogacar and rival Jonas Vingegaard drew criticism, saying the fight against doping remained an “absolute priority”.
Pogacar of UAE Team Emirates-XRG and Vingegaard of Visma-Lease a Bike, who has since withdrawn from the race, underwent unannounced anti-doping tests in the early hours of Sunday, at around 5 a.m. and 2 a.m. respectively.
The UCI said such checks were “exceptional” and carried out only in “limited and justified circumstances”, while stressing the importance of maintaining the integrity of the sport through rigorous anti-doping measures.
Slovenian rider Matej Mohoric said on Tuesday that he too had undergone a test at 5 a.m. during this year’s Tour, without specifying the date.
Guess Word
Crack the word, one row at a time
Buzzword
Create words using the given letters
Mini Sudoku
Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser
Mini Crossword
Small grid, big challenge
Word Search
Spot as many words as you can
The night-time controls have been criticised by the international riders’ union CPA, which said this practice “runs counter to the intended objectives” because of their impact on riders’ recovery.
“Following a number of reactions in recent days to unannounced anti-doping controls carried out by the International Testing Agency (ITA) during the Tour de France – in particular following the statement issued by the association of professional riders (CPA) – the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) wishes to respond and to reaffirm that the fight against doping is an absolute priority,” cycling’s world governing body said in a statement.
“The UCI of course acknowledges that night-time testing can disrupt riders’ rest and recovery, and wishes to reiterate that carrying out such controls outside normal hours remains an exceptional measure, reserved for limited and justified circumstances,” it added.
The UCI said it “fully supports the ITA’s use of every means at its disposal to carry out its mission as effectively as possible.”
The ITA has managed the UCI’s anti-doping programme since 2021.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Movement for Credible Cycling (MPCC) called “to keep the light on these issues, and to support the development of anti-doping systems that are robust.”
“Cycling’s history has shown that weaknesses and loopholes within anti-doping and whereabouts systems can be vulnerable to exploitation,” the MPCC said.
“Identifying where such vulnerabilities may exist is therefore essential so that appropriate measures can be proposed to address them.”
The ITA said on Tuesday it had tested all riders still in the race on Monday’s second rest day as part of a comprehensive Athlete Biological Passport programme.
Source: Reuters
Sign up for our newsletters
Get the CNA app
Stay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best stories
Get WhatsApp alerts
Join our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat app
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST
Tap here to return to FAST
FAST
About The Author
