Several teams competing in the 2026 Tour de France underwent a new series of anti-doping tests during the race’s final rest day, officials confirmed Tuesday. These tests followed earlier nighttime controls targeting prominent riders Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard over the weekend, which had sparked controversy due to their timing.

Among the teams tested on Monday evening were Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe, home to Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel, as well as the Decathlon CMA CGM squad led by French teenage talent Paul Seixas and the Groupama-FDJ United team. Additional teams subjected to controls included Picnic-PostNL, Jayco-AlUla, and Bahrain Victorious. Testing times varied somewhat, with Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe riders undergoing tests around 10 p.m. and Decathlon CMA CGM riders tested near 8:30 p.m. Some cyclists had reportedly already gone to sleep when testers arrived.

The International Testing Agency (ITA), an independent entity designated by the International Cycling Union (UCI) since 2021 to conduct doping controls, administered these late-night procedures. Typically, doping tests are conducted between 5 a.m. and 11 p.m., but the ITA sought and received judicial approval in Paris to perform testing during overnight hours.

The issue gained heightened attention after Vingegaard and Pogacar were subjected to controls at approximately 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. respectively on Sunday. Vingegaard crashed during a subsequent mountainous stage, breaking his collarbone and forcing his withdrawal from the race. Pogacar later suggested that the disrupted sleep from these early morning tests may have impaired Vingegaard’s focus, contributing to the accident.

The Union Cycliste Internationale’s players’ association, the Cyclistes Professionnels Associés (CPA), criticized the testing approach on Monday, labeling it "counter-productive." By contrast, some figures within the sport voiced support for the measures. Jonathan Vaughters, manager of the EF Education team and a former cyclist who admitted to doping early in his career during his tenure with the US Postal Service team, praised the nighttime testing. He argued on social media that 2 a.m. testing effectively deters practices like microdosing with peptides, erythropoietin (EPO), human growth hormone (hGH), and testosterone, and suggested earlier implementation might have prevented years of doping scandals.

Professional cycling has long grappled with doping issues, particularly during the 1990s and 2000s, a period marked by multiple Tour de France winners either testing positive for banned substances or later admitting to doping. The sport’s governing bodies have since intensified efforts to crack down on performance-enhancing drug use through increased testing and stricter protocols.