Testing agency ITA refutes Mohoric's allegations about nighttime doping controls: 'Independent of external influences'

It may well be the story of the 2026 Tour de France: the nighttime doping tests on Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar on the night from Saturday to Sunday. There’s been a lot of talk about it already , but reactions have rarely been as specific as Matej Mohoric’s. The Slovenian has his own theory ready and is voicing aloud what some were already thinking. The ITA subsequently refuted that.

On Tuesday morning, there was a new twist in the doping control story, as several riders and teams reported late doping controls on Monday evening. Not between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., but late nonetheless. For example, Ralph Denk, team manager of Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, said that several riders were already asleep when they were woken up for a test.

Enter Matej Mohoric, who firmly stated his case on the subject in an interview with the Slovenian outlet Siol . At Bahrain Victorious, they were also woken up (very) early in the morning for a doping test during the Tour. “For us, this is a bit uncomfortable; it disrupts our rest and takes a lot of energy.”

"I also had a doping test once at 5 a.m., which for us is practically the middle of the night, because we go to bed at midnight since the stages end late, and we have breakfast at 10 a.m.," Mohoric explained. The Slovenian has a theory about the underlying reason.

According to the rules, a nighttime doping test would only be permitted in cases of “serious and consistent suspicions” of doping, but Mohoric believes there is another reason. "The fact is that the agency conducting the doping tests has a fairly large budget and has to justify it somehow. So I think it’s a commercial matter."

"They have to prove that they're doing their job and ensure that the sport is clean and fair," was the argument. Like EF team boss Jonathan Vaughters, Mohoric also recognizes that cycling's past continues to have consequences. "We're paying for cycling's past."

Still, the Bahrain Victorious rider struck a more critical note. “Nevertheless, it would be good to have human limits—or at least to ensure that the rules are the same for everyone—because we know that the Frenchman, who is high in the general classification, didn’t undergo this check,” he said, referring to Paul Seixas. Some had already suspected it, but Mohoric is simply saying it out loud.

It is precisely this statement that the ITA has responded to, via a statement to The Guardian. In it, the ITA denies any favouritism towards Seixas. ‘The ITA is responsible for the anti-doping programme strategy for the Tour de France, not the AFLD (the French anti-doping agency, ed.). We have our own staff for the doping controls.’

"The AFLD may occasionally support the ITA with additional staff for doping controls, if necessary, for example during the testing mission on Monday evening, but the decision as to who is tested and when remains with the ITA," the communiqué went on to state.

The testing agency also stated: ‘Our decisions are based on facts, risk assessments, performance, scientific findings and insights, intelligence and investigations, as well as data analysis. This approach enables us to act as accurately and impartially as possible, independent of external influences, political interests or opinions.’