Christian Prudhomme, director of the Tour de France, addressed allegations of preferential treatment toward French riders during this year’s race. His comments followed statements by Slovenian rider Matej Mohoric, who suggested that French competitor Paul Seixas, aged 19 and positioned well in the general classification, had not been subjected to night-time testing that other competitors underwent.
Prudhomme emphasized that the International Testing Agency operates with complete independence from his office and from French anti-doping authorities. He stated that he receives information about testing activities at the same time as the public and sometimes even afterward, ensuring he has no advance knowledge or ability to influence testing decisions. Prudhomme noted that the UCI had specifically established the independent agency to maintain this separation of powers.
The race leader Tadej Pogacar and rival Jonas Vingegaard, who subsequently abandoned the Tour, were both tested at early morning hours—at 5am and 2am respectively—on the same Sunday. The UCI characterized these tests as exceptional measures employed only under limited and justified circumstances. While acknowledging that such early-morning testing can disrupt riders’ sleep and recovery, the UCI stated that these controls serve the broader objective of combating doping.
Prudhomme defended the testing protocols by drawing comparisons to other major sports, suggesting that equivalent anti-doping measures are rarely implemented elsewhere. He also pointed to cycling’s overall commitment to anti-doping initiatives as evidence of the sport’s leadership in this area. He argued that suspicion about Pogacar’s dominance should be contextualized within the rider’s documented history of exceptional early achievement, including finishing third in the Vuelta a España at age 20.
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