Paris judge authorises night-time tests for Pogacar and Vingegaard

A Paris judge authorised night-time doping tests of Tour de France leader Tadej Pogacar and his nearest rival Jonas Vingegaard in the early hours of Sunday morning. The International Testing Agency had petitioned for the tests, which took place overnight between July 18 and 19.

The Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed on Monday that the International Testing Agency (ITA) petitioned the “Paris judge specialising in liberty and detention matters … to authorise the anti-doping tests that took place overnight between July 18 and 19.” The statement from the prosecutor’s office identified the timing of the sampling as occurring in the early hours of Sunday. The examinations were carried out outside the typical 6am to 11pm window for antidoping controls.

The judge’s authorisation applied specifically to Tadej Pogacar, the current Tour de France leader, and Jonas Vingegaard, described by officials as his nearest rival. Those two riders were tested during the overnight period between July 18 and 19. The timing for the checks — in the early hours of Sunday morning — is the same timing cited by the prosecutor’s office.

The International Testing Agency initiated the legal request that led to the out-of-hours sampling. The prosecutor’s office relayed the existence of that petition on Monday, citing the court application to the specialist Paris judge. The wording provided by the prosecutor’s office included the exact judicial description of the court to which the ITA applied.

The tests were performed outside the sport’s routine 6am to 11pm testing schedule, a detail confirmed in the prosecutor’s account of the petition and authorisation. The Paris judge authorised the night-time procedures after the ITA’s request was filed. The prosecutor’s office served as the official channel confirming those procedural steps on Monday.

The authorisation and subsequent confirmation by the Paris prosecutor’s office centred on the ITA’s request and the judge’s permission for overnight sampling between July 18 and 19. The matter was presented in official channels through the prosecutor’s statement issued on Monday.