Commenting on the anti-doping checks that took place during the night is Richard Plugge, CEO of Visma-Lease a Bike, who told Wielerflits cameras his point of view on what happened: "Two in the morning is not ideal, but it's right that cycling remains at the forefront"

The Tour de France is won in the mountains, but also away from the road. During the night between Friday and Saturday, in fact, some of the protagonists of the Grande Boucle were subjected to surprise anti-doping checks. Among them were the two great favorites for the final victory, Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard, reached by inspectors in the middle of the night.

The team manager of Visma-Lease a Bike, Plugge, confirmed what happened, explaining how the check carried out on the Danish leader began around two in the morning.

"Yes, tonight at two, so in the middle of the night, Jonas was subjected to an anti-doping check - Plugge recounted - Two in the morning is certainly not the ideal time, but no one seems to have found a better solution. In any case, it's positive that our sport is so advanced in the fight against doping and continues to be so. That's how it is and we must adapt".

The Dutch manager didn't hide the fact that sleep interruption, especially on the eve of a mountain stage, can affect athletes' recovery. "From a performance perspective, it's certainly not positive. Being woken up and having to spend thirty or forty minutes on a check in the middle of the night is not pleasant. Of course, at two you still have several hours to go back to sleep, but being interrupted in the middle of the night is never ideal".

Despite the inconvenience, Plugge reiterated that he fully shares the philosophy of surprise checks, considering them a fundamental tool in the fight against doping.
"It's positive that our sport is so advanced in this field and continues to be so. It's important that these checks are carried out and that they involve different teams. From this point of view, it's a positive signal for all of cycling".

When asked about the reasons that prompted inspectors to show up in the middle of the night, the Visma manager admitted he had not received particular explanations. "I believe they have their reasons, but it's not up to me to comment on them. You would have to ask the International Testing Agency. We simply have to respect the regulations".

A regulation that riders know perfectly well. During the Tour, in fact, athletes can be checked at any time of the day, without any notice. Not so much by the ITA but by the French anti-doping agency, which does not have to respect the schedules of the international agency.

"We know it can happen. The rules are these and the riders are available to be checked 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It's part of our sport. Normally on our bus, tests are carried out every day 30 minutes before the start".

In recent years, cycling has further intensified its anti-doping control system, precisely to guarantee maximum credibility of the competition. And while being woken up in the middle of the night may represent a small sacrifice, Plugge has no doubts about the direction to follow.

"It's not ideal for an athlete's preparation, but it's also the price to pay for cycling to continue to be one of the most rigorous sports in the fight against doping".

Jonas Vingegaard unfortunately crashed and was forced to get into the ambulance, abandoning the race, but this morning, before the start of the fifteenth stage from Champagnole to Plateau de Solaison, the Dane explained what happened at the hotel during the night. "The anti-doping officials didn't let me sleep much. I was sleeping deeply, then someone knocked on my door at 2 in the morning – Vingegaard said in the mixed zone - It really surprised me. It took me about 40 minutes to get back to my room. Yes, it's good that they do the tests, but when they affect sleep and performance, I don't know if it's really positive. I really hope I'm not the only one in this situation, because it should be the same for everyone. It wasn't the best evening, but I can't do anything about it, it's part of the game".

When news of the anti-doping checks started circulating, we directly contacted the communications staff of Visma-Lease a Bike. We asked if they were bothered by the checks and if there would be a statement about it. The simple but effective answer reiterates what Vingegaard said before the start, that the team did not view the checks negatively and that they made themselves immediately available since checks can be carried out at any time of day and night as established by regulations, but that, as Vingegaard had pointed out, while not contesting the nighttime operation, they remained perplexed about the choice of time.