UCI president: 'Always suspicion in cycling' but Tour de France was clean

The UCI president, David Lappartient, has said there will “always be suspicion in cycling” and insisted this year’s men’s Tour de France was clean. Lappartient, speaking at the start of stage two of the Tour de France Femmes in Aigle, also said he supported night-time testing during races in “exceptional cases”.

Tadej Pogacar, the five-time champion, and his rival Jonas Vingegaard were subjected to night-time tests, at 5am and 2am respectively, by the International Testing Agency (ITA) midway through this year’s race. “We will not support something they do every night on the riders. The normal hours [of testing] are not in the night,” said the head of cycling’s governing body.

“However, we support the ITA if they have to do some specific test, because we know that, with micro-dosing EPO, that’s something you can’t detect six or seven hours after. So, for the riders to know that the ITA may come, that’s always a fear.

“We always have suspicion in cycling, due to our past. I know what has been done to fight against doping. Night testing is a tool in this fight, but it is not a tool to use every day. You must use it very exceptionally. It’s not suspicion about any rider, but it’s a global message to the bunch.”

Lappartient is an International Olympic Committee member alongside the besieged Fifa president, Gianni Infantino, and was re-elected UCI president unopposed for a third term in September last year. He believes involving stakeholders is key to successful reform of sports governance. “I will not interfere in Fifa’s matters, but I can tell you that in the UCI transparency is important,” Lappartient said.

“When we want to make a reform of professional cycling, we will first make a presentation to the teams, the riders and the organisers. We have consultation with the stakeholders.

“I will not give advice to Fifa, but I think it’s important to work with this kind of transparency.”