The UCI has handed a four-year suspension to Italian Giovanni Carboni after deeming abnormalities in his Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) to be an anti-doping rule violation, the International Testing Agency (ITA) announced on Thursday.

"A review of the rider's haematological biological passport by the Athlete Passport Management Unit returned an Adverse Passport Finding for abnormalities in the values of the blood ABP," the ITA press release stated.

"More particularly, a panel of independent experts unanimously concluded that the abnormalities in the rider's ABP during and after the 2024 Tour of Langkawi, respectively, were highly likely caused by the use of a prohibited substance or a prohibited method."

Carboni was racing for the Japanese Continental team JCL Team UKYO in 2024, but the case came out after he had signed for the Unibet Rockets team and raced most of the 2025 season. When the UCI announced the provisional suspension, his team also suspended him, stating, "As a member of the MPCC, we fully support clean sport and therefore cooperate with all investigations conducted by the relevant authorities. Additionally, we have launched an additional internal examination.

"We are shocked by this news, as it goes against our values and principles. We remain fully committed to transparency, integrity, and the fight for a clean sport."

Carboni won two stages and the Tour of Japan overall and one stage and second place overall in the Tour of Bulgaria in 2024, and will get to keep those results. However, the UCI has stripped his results from the 2024 Tour de Langkawi through Carboni's last day of racing on September 11, 2025.

Carboni's four-year ban runs from his last day of racing through September 10, 2029.

The suspension came out of a hearing on August 3, 2026, during which the UCI Anti-doping Tribunal "found that the athlete had committed an ADRV for the use of a prohibited substance or a prohibited method in accordance with Article 2.2 of the UCI anti-doping rules".

The ABP measures blood values such as haematocrit and haemoglobin over time. Abnormal shifts can indicate the use of banned substances or methods such as blood boosters like EPO or blood transfusions.

Carboni, 30, has the right to appeal the decision before the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The case is the third recent ABP suspension after Franck Bonnamour was banned last year through 2028 and Robert Stannard received a post-dated four-year ban for abnormalities dating back to 2018 in 2024.

Stage 4 of the Tour de Pologne was temporarily neutralised after a major mid-race crash in the peloton required all the medical services to attend the injured and fallen.

Around 30 to 40 riders went down around in a major pile-up that happened 41 kilometres from the finish of the hilly stage from Borowice to Karpacz.

With riders falling on both sides of the road, some hitting a crash barrier, bikes and riders were scattered all over the road. Amongst those who fell were Aleksandr Vlasov (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), Juan Sebastian Molano (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and Wilco Kelderman (Jumbo-Visma), although the extent of their injuries, if any, was not known.

The mass crash took place on a fast, sweeping downhill in the middle of the bunch in a wooded rural area, just when the peloton was hitting high speeds on broad roads and reeling in a four-rider break of the day, some 90 seconds ahead.

The immediate cause of the crash was not clear, but there was speculation that wet conditions on country roads, in what is the first major rainfall of the week, combined with white traffic paint lines, could have caused it.

A race motorbike also was caught up in the collision, which seemed to have taken place in the middle of the bunch when the riders crashed.

So many riders went down it was necessary to halt the race as all the available ambulances were dealing with the crash victims. Last year a similar situation arose on stage 3 of the Tour de Pologne when a mass crash on a fast downhill also sparked a temporary neutralisation.

The four riders ahead - Dries De Bondt (Jayco AlUla), Matteo Malucelli (XDS Astana) and Team Poland duo Tobiasz Pawlak and Patryk Stosz - were told to stop by commissaires and halted in the middle of the road in dense woodland, while the peloton continued but gradually freewheeled to a stop. It was not immediately clear how long the race would be delayed, but racing finally got underway after around 30-40 minutes.

Some riders in the peloton, waiting for the race to begin again, asked for a change in the late descents on the route, alleging possible dangers. But as race organisers started discussions with riders, it was not immediately clear if GC times later on would be partially suspended, particularly as the weather was seemingly improving and drying up.

Finally what was decided was that one of the climbs, the 4.6 kilometre Cat. 1 Borowice, would be removed. As a result the length of the stage was reduced, and only the Karpacz (7km at 6.1%), followed by a short descent and kick up to the finish, remained in place.

Amongst those injured was major favourite and former Pologne winner João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), who dropped back from the pack once racing resumed, his left leg clearly injured and his shorts torn.

After bunch sprints decided the opening three stages, today's first mountainous stage marks the beginning of the GC battle, with the current leader Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek).

More later…

UCI President David Lappartient has defended night-time anti-doping tests during the men's Tour de France, saying that it was "a tool in this fight" against banned drugs, albeit one that should only be used occasionally.

Both of the most recent winners of the Tour de France, reigning champion Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard, who took the title in 2022 and 2023, were amongst those who had night-time testing during the 2026 race: Vingegaard – who later crashed out on the same day as his test, injured – at 2am and Pogačar at 5am.

Reports later emerged that five other teams had also been tested at some point during the race before 5am, which is not typical under UCI and WADA rules, which restrict normal testing to a 6am to 11pm window.

Being selected for a test, including out-of-hours, is a standard part of anti-doping controls and does not imply any suspicion of, or wrongdoing by, the riders concerned. Neither Pogačar nor Vingegaard have been accused of any anti-doping violation.

Speaking during the ongoing Tour de France Femmes, Lappartient indicated in an interview with The Guardian and Daniel Benson's Substack that there would "always be suspicion in cycling." He explained that although he was not in favour of testing overnight on a regular basis, he believed it was a weapon that could help the battle against micro-dosing of illegal substances.

He also said that the absence to date of press releases from the International Testing Agency indicated that there had been no positive tests in the Tour.

"The ITA never make a press release about negative results, only about positive results," said Lappartient.

"We didn’t see any press release in the Tour de France, so it seems there was nothing in the Tour."

The emergence of the night-time testing in the third week of the Tour revived concerns and debate about the current state of the sport's ongoing anti-doping battle.

Whilst not supporting regular night-time testing, Lappartient said the UCI supported the ITA's use of specific tests during that period "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," he said.

"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's comments back up a press release by the UCI during the third week of the Tour, in which they defended the overnight testing against criticisms made of it by some riders.

"Following a number of reactions in recent days to unannounced anti-doping controls carried out by the International Testing Agency (ITA) during the Tour de France – in particular following the statement issued by the association of professional riders (CPA) – the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) wishes to respond and to reaffirm that the fight against doping is an absolute priority," the statement read.

Riders at the Tour de France Femmes can expect more detailed clothing checks before stage 4's time trial after reports that riders may be using additional padding in their bras to gain an aero advantage after the UCI issued a special warning about items "which could modify riders’ morphology".

Wielerflits published a story on Sunday about this potential issue, noting that riders have sometimes appeared to have a larger chest size during time trials compared to road races, and reporting that several WorldTour teams have voiced their concerns over riders' artificially changing their breast size using padding during races.

An increased volume in the chest area can have significant aerodynamic gains, as it redirects the airflow around the body, for both men and women.

Chest fairings, which are essentially items put down the front of the jersey to change the shape of the chest, have been found to be effective in saving watts and therefore time, particularly in aero positions for cyclists and triathletes, and have been banned by several governing bodies, including in cycling.

Lidl-Trek's head of technical and innovation told The Athletic that his team have tested different kinds of bras and found some more padded bras to have benefits, but did say that it's not something the team have actually used in racing.

Under articles 1.3.032 and 1.3.033 of the UCI rules, riders may not use any objects to artificially change their morphology, and any kind of fairings or textured fabrics are banned.

At the 2025 World Championships in Rwanda, riders from Belgium had their radio pockets on their chest rather than their back, with no penalties, and riders have sometimes ridden with bottles down the front of their jersey, though the UCI has tried to police that.

For male riders, the policing of chest fairing use is relatively easy, but it becomes complicated for women, who all have different sized breasts and use all different kinds of sports bras during races.

Some riders have opted to race without a sports bra – that often minimises and compresses the breasts – for aero gains, but Wielerflits reports that some riders are doing the opposite, using padding in their bras to increase their breast size or alter their chest shape in a way that is difficult to police or detect.

However, since Wielerflits' story caused a stir in the paddock, the UCI jury did something unusual on Monday evening and added an extra warning to the Tour de France Femmes communiqué ahead of the stage 4 time trial.

"Riders must be to the final checks before the race (bikes and outfit) no later than 10 minutes before their respective start time," the communique reads, which is normal, but then it goes on to say: "Particular attention will be paid to compliance with article 1.3.032 of the UCI regulations, including nonessential elements and clothing or other items/accessories worn by a rider (including but not limited to helmets, glasses, shoes or in-race communication devices) which could modify riders’ morphology."

It's not often a warning like this is specifically given before a time trial.

The question, though, is how will these checks take place without being invasive? According to Wielerflits, some teams have suggested that riders could be checked in a private tent by a female jury member to ensure there is no padding or extra material in their sports bra or clothing, but even this likely feels invasive to some.

What's more, the rule is a likely grey area, with no defined amount of padding or support a bra may or may not have, with different women having different needs and preferences.

However, with the UCI sharing the special warning on Monday, it suggests that they will be attempting to carry out extra checks on Tuesday.

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Recovering from his crash into the back of the UAE Team Emirates-XRG team car on Alpe d’Huez, which ended his Tour de France on stage 19, Einer Rubio has called for change within the sport to prevent the repeat of similar accidents in the future.

Ascending a crowded Alpe d’Huez, Rubio found himself riding close to the back bumper of the UAE Team Emirates-XRG car, having just been passed by eventual stage winner Tadej Pogačar, when a spectator fell in front of the vehicle, forcing the driver to brake hard. Rubio crashed into the back window, breaking the glass and curtailing his Tour two days early.

Rubio came away with 20 stitches on his face. A little over a week after the incident, Rubio shared an image of himself on Instagram back home in Colombia, with the cuts and scratches from his collision with the car evident.

The 28-year-old has suggested that his crash was avoidable, pointing to crowd control and vehicle access to the climb as contributing factors.

“A few days have passed since the accident at the Tour de France and, as the saying goes, you have to put on a brave face in difficult times,” Rubio said.

“Perhaps it would have been different with better barriers on the climb, stricter control over vehicle access and more cautious fans…No one expects to finish a race this way, but that is what happened.”

“We cannot change the past, but we can learn from these situations,” he added.

With two stages back-to-back ascending up the town of Alpe d’Huez, huge crowds flocked to the famous mountain and its 21 hairpins. Parts of the climb included barriers, holding fans back from the riders and race vehicles, but the section where Rubio’s crash occurred did not contain barriers.

“I am recovering, and I will be back soon,” Rubio concluded. He had been scheduled to race the Vuelta a España to complete the rare feat of racing all three Grand Tours in one season, but his return to racing has not yet been confirmed.

The driver of the UAE Team Emirates-XRG car and the team’s Sports Manager, Joxean Fernández Matxin, shared his perspective of the incident at the time, emphasising the number of people lining the mountain.

“In the final kilometres of the Alpe d’Huez climb, with thousands of fans right next to the road and the immense pressure typical of a decisive Tour stage, a spectator suddenly ran out and fell right beneath our vehicle,” Matxin said on Instagram. “My only reaction was to brake immediately to avoid running him over. It all happened in a split second, and my only thought was preventing a far worse tragedy.”

"I believe it is important to remember that the safety of riders, teams, and fans also depends on the responsible behaviour of those who enjoy this sport from the roadside,” he added.

Whether enough was done to ensure the safety of the riders, race officials, team staff and fans is up for debate, as are other potential measures which could be implemented in the future.

Race director Thierry Gouvenou defended A.S.O’s actions at the time, saying that the race organisation had done more than in previous years to make the event safer.

"We have already taken measures. We closed Alpe d'Huez the day before at 2 p.m. to prevent cars from driving up. Compared to previous years, a tremendous number of extra barriers have been put in place. Ropes have been stretched and posts installed. More police officers have been deployed on the climb," he told Sporza.

“It has to come mainly from the mindset of the supporters,” Gouvenou added. The solution is to make it as clear as possible to the supporters that they must have respect for the riders. Restrictive measures alone will not suffice.”

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There was confusion and speculation on stage 1 of the Tour de France Femmes after Paula Blasi (UAE Team L'IMAD) was awarded the first white jersey of the race, the youth classification previously contested by under-23 riders: which Blasi is not.

In the first four editions of the Tour de France Femmes, the white jersey, sponsored by Liv, has been awarded to the highest-ranked under-23 rider, slightly younger than the under-25 classification that dictates the white jersey in the men's Tour.

As a result, the assumption was that it would continue to be an under-23 category this year, with no announcements otherwise, and the Tour de France Femmes website and roadbook still listing the jersey as for "riders under 23 years of age".

Now, under-23 and under-25 may sound like terms that are open to interpretation, but when it comes to cycling age categories, they are not – they are clearly defined by the UCI. To be counted as an under-23 rider, a rider must be under the age of 23 on December 31 of that year. In other words, in the year in which you turn 23, you are no longer an under-23 rider.

That means that riders like Paula Blasi, who turned 23 in February, and, for example, Millie Couzens who is 22 but will turn 23 in October are no longer under-23 riders.

Therefore, it was surprising when riders like Blasi, Couzens, Antonia Niedermaier and more 23-year-olds were marked as U23s on the Tour's start list, and even more surprising when Blasi was awarded the jersey. Considering many of these riders just rode the Giro d'Italia, where they were not eligible, it was confusing to see them listed in the youth classification in the Tour.

So why? Well, it seems that the Tour de France has quietly changed the parameters of the classification, with the rulebook stating that the classification is open to riders born after January 1, 2003. This is the exact same wording as last year, meaning that riders who are already 23 are now eligible.

At the start of stage two in Aigle on Sunday, Cyclingnews spoke both to UAE Team L'IMAD and Lidl-Trek, the team of Isabella Holmgren who would have expected to have been in the white jersey per normal under-23 regulations after finishing 14th on the opening stage.

Lidl-Trek were unaware of any confusion or a claim on white, with most people on the race not being aware of any rule change, but Cyclingnews now understands that the change was communicated at the directors' meeting on Friday, though not made public.

On Saturday, there was some initial confusion with Blasi nearly missing the podium presentation for white, but that was down to a miscommunication, rather than the team not believing she was eligible, UAE Team L'IMAD director Cherie Pridham explained to Cyclingnews on Sunday.

Blasi herself said that she only found out just before the race that she would be eligible, and you can understand why she was confused, as she was not eligible for the white jersey in the Vuelta Femenina that she won in May. There was also confusion around that classification, with only under-22 riders marked as eligible initially, but that was later rectified.

Pridham was aware that the category has been moved up a year, and had no questions about that.

"The star [asterisk on the start list] indicates who is eligible, so we just follow what they prescribe," she said. "We were never informed any different, so she's in the young rider's jersey and that's it."

UAE Team L'IMAD already have several goals and leaders, so whilst Blasi is in white for now, it's not a defined ambition to try to keep it, though she does look like the strongest under-24 rider in the race.

"It'll come organically," Pridham said. "Our focus is for the yellow jersey of course, for the GC. It's a bit like the Queen of the Mountains – if you're in the GC with the way the course is this year, it's going to come organically – but our focus always remains on the GC. If the white jersey comes as a consequence of the team's strength, then of course we will take it."

Why the change? 

Since the Tour de France Femmes has not publicised the change, with their own website not even reflecting the change in the rulebook, they haven't publicly given any reasons for the change.

The youth category in women's cycling has long been younger than in men's racing, as there is no separate U23 racing scene in women's racing, so riders go straight from juniors into the elite peloton.

Last year, only 12 riders were eligible for the white jersey in the Tour de France Femmes, so expanding the eligibility by one year certainly makes it more competitive and open to more riders, with 26 under-24 riders eligible for white this year.

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The Tour de France Femmes has come to an end, and with that comes the final daily update on punishments doled out throughout the nine-day race.

It was a list that started with a flurry but was in the final days was a far sparser affair, though there still ended up being a swathe of fines, warning and yellow cards as the race made its way across from the Grand Départ in Lausanne, Switzerland, to Nice, France, from August 1-9.

The UCI commissaires at the race cast their eye over the goings on in the peloton through every day of racing, with the eagle-eyed jury able to spot a sticky bottle or a rider illegally littering from a mile off.

More dangerous infractions are also penalised, with commissaires now able to enforce cycling's new yellow card system. Two yellow cards within 30 days result in a rider being disqualified from the race and receiving a seven-day suspension, while three yellow cards within the same 30-day period lead to a 14-day ban.

Read on for the complete list of yellow cards, fines, and penalties at the 2026 Tour de France Femmes, as well as a list of infractions that could see a rider handed a yellow card.

Yellow cards, fines, and penalties at the 2026 Tour de France Femmes

Stage 1

• Alice Towers (EF Education-Oatly) - 500CHF, disposing of bidon outside of litter zones
• Christian Kos (SD Worx-Protime DS), Ion Lazkano (Labodal Kutxa-Fundacion Euskadi DS), Cherie Pridham (UAE Team L'IMAD DS) - 500CHF fine and yellow card, breach of regulations or guidelines concerning vehicle movement
• Huub Duijn (EF Education-Oatly DS) - 500CHF fine, breach of regulations or guidelines concerning vehicle movement
• Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Visma-Lease a Bike), Lieke Nooijen (Visma-Lease a Bike), Lily Williams (Human Powered Health), Josie Nelson (Picnic PostNL) - Warning for use of sidewalks
• Alison Jackson (St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93) - Warning for using a non-compliant position on the bicycle

Stage 2

• Dina Boels (Lotto-Intermarché Ladies) - 100CHF fine, once minute penalty and 5 UCI points, sheltering behind a vehicle
• Grace Verbeke (Lotto-Intermarché Ladies DS) - 200CHF fine, sheltering behind a vehicle plus a 500CHF fine, failure to comply with the instructions of commissaires
• Francesca Barale (Movistar) and Robyn Clay (Picnic PostNL) - 100CHF, irregular feeding ("sticky bottle" for a short distance)
• Kelvin Dekker (Movistar DS) and Callum Ferguson (Picnic PostNL DS) - 200 CHF, irregular feeding ("sticky bottle" for a short distance)

Stage 3

• Nothing to report

Stage 4

• Nothing to report

Stage 5

• Usoa Ostolaza Zabala (Laboral Kutxa-Fundacion Euskadi) - 200CHF total, two infractions for irregular feeding
• Ion Lazkano (Laboral Kutxa-Fundacion Euskadi DS) - 400CHF total, two infractions for irregular feeding
• Huub Duijn (EF Education-Oatly DS) - 500CHF fine, breach of regulations or guidelines concerning vehicle movement
• Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Visma-Lease a Bike) - 250CHF and 15 UCI points, disposing of bidon outside of litter zones

Stage 6

• Agnieszka Skalniak-Sojka (Canyon-SRAM) and Cedrine Kerbaol (EF Education-Oatly) - 250CHF fine and -15 UCI points for disposing of waste or other objects outside of litter zones
• Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime) and Morgane Coston (Ma Petite Enterprise) - 100 CHF for Irregular feeding (sticky bottle for a short distance).
• SD Worx DS Christian Kos, Ma Petite Enterprise DS Gaël Le Bellec - 200CHF for giving sticky bottle.

Stage 7

• Rosa Klöser (Canyon-SRAM) - 200CHF, Irregular assistance of a rider within the same team
• Maeva Squiban (UAE Team L'IMAD), Jeanne Korevaar (Liv-AlUla-Jayco), Mia Griffin (Picnic PostNL), Heidi Franz (St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93) and Malou Eisen (Volkerwessels Cycling) - 100CHF fine, irregular feeding ("sticky bottle" for a short distance etc)
• Léonard Cosnier (St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93 DS), Rudi Kemna (Picnic PostNL DS), Chérie Pridham (UAE Team L'IMAD DS), Wim Stroetinga (Liv AlUla Jayco DS) and Marieke van Wanroij (Volkerwessels DS) - 200CHF fine, irregular feeding ("sticky bottle" for a short distance etc)
• Marie Nicolas (FDJ United-SUEZ DS) - 200CHF fine, failing to respect the instructions of the commissaires
• Demi Vollering (FDJ United-SUEZ), Juliette Berthet (FDJ United-SUEZ) and Célia Gery (FDJ United-SUEZ) - 100CHF fine, inappropriate behaviour (urinating in public during the race)

Stage 8

• Nothing to report

Stage 9

• Nothing to report

Infringements that can result in yellow cards

• 3.4 - Rider taking off mandatory helmet during the race.
• 4.2.1 - Hand sling between teammates.
• 4.2.2 - Hand sling between riders from different teams.
• 4.3 - Pushing off against car, motorcycle, rider; rider pushing another rider.
• 4.6 - Rider holding onto vehicle or mechanical intervention from a moving vehicle.
• 4.7 - Sheltering behind or taking advantage of the slipstream of a vehicle.
• 4.9 - Follower leaning out of a vehicle or holding equipment outside a vehicle.
• 4.10 - Unauthorised feeding (4.10.1 – 4.10.2 – 4.10.3 – 4.10.4 – 4.10.5 – 4.10.6)
• 4.11 - Irregular feeding (“sticky bottle” or feeding outside feed zone, etc.).
• 4.12 - Non-compliance with the article 2.3.025 by a team assistant during feeding
• 5.1 - Irregular sprint, deviation from the chosen line that obstructs or endangers another rider.
• 5.2 - Rider decelerating during a sprint and endangering other riders
• 6.1 - Obstruction by a rider or vehicle in order to prevent or delay the movement of another rider or vehicle
• 6.3 - Breach of regulations or guidelines concerning vehicle movements during the race or failure to comply with the instructions of commissaires and/or the organisation
• 6.4 – Interviewing a rider during the race.
• 6.5 - Interviewing a sport director during the last 10 kilometres of a race or conducting the interview from a car rather than a motorbike.
• 7.1 - Deviation from the race route constituting an advantage, attempting to be placed without having covered the entire race route.
• 7.6 - Use of sidewalks/pavements, paths or cycle lanes that do not form part of the race route.
• 7.7 - Passing through a level crossing that is closed or in the process of closing (lights flashing and/or audible warnings).
• 7.9 - Using a non-compliant position or point of support on the bicycle that represents a danger to the rider or competitors.
• 8.1 - Failing to respect the instructions of the organiser or commissaires.
• 8.2.1 – Assault, intimidation, insults, threats, improper conduct (including pulling the jersey or saddle of another rider, blow with the helmet, knee, elbow, shoulder, foot or hand, etc.), or behaviour that is indecent or that endangers others (between riders)
• 8.2.2 - Assault, intimidation, insults, threats, improper conduct (including pulling the jersey or saddle of another rider, blow with the helmet, knee, elbow, shoulder, foot or hand, etc.), or behaviour that is indecent or that endangers others (directed at any other person, including spectators).
• 8.3 - Rider or team staff disposing of waste or other objects outside of litter zones. (adapted also to one-day events since April 1)

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As I write this, online is abuzz with Jonas Vingegaard crashing out of this year’s Tour de France. The potential cause? Being awoken at 2 a.m. for an anti-doping test. Tadej Pogačar, wrote The Guardian’s Jeremy Whittle, said the disturbance could "be a small percentage in why he crashed because he probably didn’t sleep good", adding: "I know how it feels. They woke me up at five in the morning also, but at least I got my deep sleep. It’s better than if they come at two." Why were the Dane and Slovenian woken between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., which is uncommon from the International Testing Agency (ITA), who roll out the anti-doping programme on behalf of the UCI? No official reasons have been given, and being selected for a test, including out of hours, is a standard part of anti-doping controls, and does not imply any suspicion of, or wrongdoing by, the riders concerned.

However, when WADA first permitted nighttime testing across all its sports in 2015, there was a reason for it. The Cycling Independent Reform Commission (CIRC) stated in 2015 that "the absence of nighttime testing [was] a weakness in the current system", specifically regarding the issue of micro-dosing.

Here, we delve deep into micro-dosing’s detection challenge, made harder by the issue of altitude…

The science says ‘no’

"In 2010, Carsten Lundby and I had a study published [in the European Journal of Applied Physiology] where we sent anonymous doped EPO [the blood-booster erythropoietin] samples to anti-doping laboratories in Cologne and Lausanne to see if the results would come back positive. The results were poor. Not because the technicians are poor, but the gaps in the test, especially the passport."

The words of Dr Paul Robach, who works in the department of biomedical research at the National School of Mountain Sports, Chamonix, France. Robach is a world-leading authority on the blood changes fuelled by either the needle or a mountain.

Back to his eye-opening 2010 research. Half of the subjects who were injected with a significant amount of EPO before moving into the micro-dosing maintenance phase tested negative. Concerning. The World Anti-Doping Agency would rightly counter that the sensitivity of doping tests has improved in the intervening 16 years. Still, in my new book Dope it became clear that the micro-dosing shortcomings remained, one of the major flaws being rapidly flushed-out markers.

"If a rider micro-dosed EPO at 11 p.m. and the doping control officer tested them at six the next morning, they’d catch them with a direct blood test," says Robach. "But the chances would be lower with the passport. It’s because EPO has a short half-life of a few hours."

A direct doping test looks for a prohibited substance or its metabolites in an athlete’s urine or blood, providing evidence that a banned drug has been used. The blood test doesn’t search for specific substances. Instead, it tracks an athlete’s blood markers over time and flags up unusual changes that may indicate doping. While direct tests aim to catch the substance itself, the blood passport is designed to detect the lasting biological effects of doping.

In search of more oxygen

Ultimately, no intelligence agency will communicate the reasons behind targeted or nocturnal testing. But the nighttime testing at the Tour does highlight a limitation of anti-doping procedures when it comes to micro-doping, which is exacerbated when trying to unpick the physiological changes accrued from synthetic EPO compared to altitude-stimulated EPO.

Which is perhaps not surprising, as the aim of each intervention is the same: to boost red blood cells, meaning the rider can tap into more oxygen to fuel working muscles. Achieving that goal by injection is prohibited. Heading high and forcing the oxygen-starved body to generate more EPO to create more red blood cells isn’t.

A 2022 paper by Jonas Saugy highlighted the problem, the researcher revealing that an athlete’s blood profile when micro-dosing was "hardly distinguishable from those identified after hypoxic exposure" without doping.

The similar blood profiles included haemoglobin mass, which is the total amount of haemoglobin (oxygen carrier) in a rider’s red blood cells. There’s a tight relationship between VO2 max and haemoglobin mass, with research revealing that a 1g increase in haemoglobin mass can increase VO2 max by around 4ml/min/kg. As VO2 max is one of the limiting factors when it comes to an endurance sport like road cycling, the benefits are clear.

Further separate research highlights similar benefits enjoyed from micro-dosing and training at altitude. A 2024 study revealed that injecting nine IU/kg of bodyweight of EPO three times weekly over four weeks boosted endurance by up to 6% in trained athletes, which would equate to around 2% in elites, who have less room to grow.

As for altitude training, a 2016 meta-analysis of elite athletes reported an average VO2max increase of around 2%, so similar to those micro-dosing results.

The variability of altitude training

It begs the question: why cheat when the legal means (altitude) deliver similar gains? "A rider’s response to altitude training is highly variable," says Robach. "We have an ongoing study that shows our group’s haematological response to one year at high altitude varies from 1% to 50%."

Robach’s results mirror earlier research charting how elite endurance athletes respond to altitude training camps and whether they can be reliably classified as "responders" or "non-responders." Researchers analysed 82 altitude camps involving 59 athletes and measured changes in haemoglobin mass.

Haemoglobin mass increased after 56% of camps, rising to 65% when athletes trained above 2,000 metres (we’ll come back to that height-related stimulus shortly). However, responses varied greatly both between athletes and within the same athlete across different camps.

"From the 15 athletes who participated in altitude training camps at least twice, 27% always had positive haemoglobin responses; 60% both positive and negative responses; and 13% only negative responses."

In other words, altitude training doesn’t always work. Worse than that for the rider and support staff, it might work for a rider at one camp but not at the next.

Exercise physiologist Inigo Mujika would suggest this variability’s down to sidestepping the five I’s. These are: Iron – inadequate iron intake may compromise adaptations to altitude; Intake – low energy diets don’t support adaptations; Injury – prolonged inflammatory responses associated with serious soft tissue injury can interfere with adaptation; Illness – viral and bacterial infections do the same; and Intensity – excessive workload at the start of an altitude camp can promote excessive fatigue and, again, impair adaptation.

But even with the best-laid plans, results from altitude training remain inconsistent. One reason why is limitations in how low each rider can go…

Triggering HIF-1

"Ultimately, optimising altitude training is around the amount that you can safely reduce your oxygen saturation level [SpO2], which you can measure with a pulse oximeter on the tip of your finger," says top coach and sport scientist Dan Healey, who formerly worked with Alberto Contador at Tinkoff-Saxo. A normal range at sea level is around 95 to 100%. When you train at altitude, the thinner air naturally means that [it] usually drops. "You’ll aim for the rider’s SpO2 to drop to 90 and into the 80s. The sweet spot for optimum EPO production is probably in the 70s."

Healey says you need that rarefied stimulus to trigger a protein complex called hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1 alpha). "Every day, HIF-1 alpha is produced but killed. It’s a really complex mechanism. But when you go to altitude, it’s free to do its thing. HIF-1 alpha will join with HIF-2. That’s when you get EPO production and why teams spend a lot of money on altitude camps. Basically, they’re spending top dollar to trigger HIF-1."

But even when ticking those five ‘I’ boxes of Mujika’s, how much HIF-1 alpha is triggered can vary greatly. In Dope, Rory Townsend told me that no matter what he does, his SpO2 levels remain well into the 90s. He’s seemingly a staunch non-responder. That said, he’s never hit the lofty heights of Healey’s recent research.

"The sweet spot for triggering HIF-1 is around 5,000m," he says. "You’ll need to do it in really short doses of extreme hypoxia – so SpO2 in the 70s for accelerated EPO release – though you must monitor the rider closely and ensure things are done safely."

Cyclingnews reiterates that this type of training should only be carried out under the supervision of expert medical guidance.

Robach agrees that adding a little more certainty from altitude training might require going higher than the 2-2,500m that most teams peak at. "But many coaches are concerned if they go too high the riders will be too fatigued or not sleep. I think it’d be okay at 3-3,500m. But 5,000m? That’s exploratory and yet to be scientifically proven."

Exercise physiologists and sports scientists love nothing more than consistency. That their research and applied practice delivers gains time and time again. It’s repeatable. That’s anathema to altitude training. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. But with micro-dosing EPO? "Ultimately, you’ll have a higher chance of consistently boosting your haemoglobin mass with EPO than altitude," says Robach. "Altitude training is complicated."

What of the future?

So, there are compelling reasons why a rider might micro-dose, especially at altitude, as there’s evidence that you enjoy a double boost, again without testing negative unless tested close to injection time.

It’s also not solely about micro-dosing EPO. Both infusing your own blood and injecting human growth hormone at nominal levels deliver a physiological advantage and a small detection window.

Which is why a credible anti-doping system can’t rely so much on the biological blood passport. Sidestepping the cost implications of research and implementing a new test that’s legally watertight, are there new tests on the horizon that could actually solve the micro-dosing and altitude riddle?

Possibly. While much of the focus has been on changes in reticulocytes and other red blood cell markers, an alternative approach may be to examine shifts in plasma volume. One of the primary physiological responses to altitude exposure is a reduction in plasma volume – the liquid component of blood – which can influence many of the variables monitored by the biological passport.

WADA has already explored machine-learning models that estimate an athlete’s expected plasma volume over time, using artificial intelligence to distinguish normal physiological variation from patterns consistent with doping. Although this would require an additional blood measurement, incorporating plasma volume estimates could help differentiate the effects of altitude exposure from those of EPO micro-dosing.

"There’s also great potential in the area of omics," says Robach. This taps into the ongoing work of Professor Yannis Pitsiladis, a leading advocate for applying omics technologies – genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics – to anti-doping. By analysing thousands of biological markers simultaneously, these approaches could reveal subtle signatures of EPO use, blood manipulation and other forms of doping, potentially improving detection.

"Exploring iron metabolism could pay off, too," adds Robach, who along with colleagues has shown that even low doses of recombinant EPO stimulate the hormone erythroferrone and corresponding changes in iron regulation. Altitude doesn’t result in the same iron profile.

"But my dream is that EPO manufacturers put a tracer in their drugs," says Robach, "but I can’t see the likes of Novo Nordisk doing that. Their drugs are for therapeutic purposes. Understandably, sporting abuse isn’t top of their concerns."

It’s clear that anti-doping faces two fundamental challenges: how do you detect a performance-boosting substance that has such a short half-life? And how do you separate a rider’s legitimate adaptation to the mountains from an artificial attempt to recreate the same advantage? It’s also clear that the battle against micro-dosing will not be won by one breakthrough test. Altitude, EPO and blood manipulation all exploit the same physiological pathway: increasing oxygen delivery through red blood cells. As detection evolves, the future may lie in looking beyond traditional blood markers towards plasma volume, iron metabolism and omics. Until then, the flaws of micro-dosing mean athlete welfare will play second fiddle to the credibility of the anti-doping system.

Einer Rubio (Movistar) had to quit the Tour de France only a matter of kilometres from the finish line of Alpe d'Huez on stage 19 after crashing into the back of a UAE Team Emirates-XRG car.

Movistar released a medical update following the stage to confirm his injuries, which include facial stitches, and he will be transferred to a hospital in Grenoble.

"Einer Rubio has received around 20 stitches in the face following the accident he suffered during the ascent to Alpe d'Huez," the statement read. "The Colombian is to be transferred to a hospital in Grenoble, where new tests will be carried out to determine the extent of the injuries."

Rubio, who had been in the day's breakaway, was in the second-to-last group to be passed by Tadej Pogačar on his way to winning the stage, and looked set to climb to the finish, but was then recorded as a DNF.

Video footage then emerged of Rubio crashing, at fairly high speed as the road levelled out near the top, into the back of a UAE car when it stopped abruptly in front of him.

With thousands of fans lining the climb, often encroaching on the road, it was difficult for riders and vehicles to navigate the climb even during the race, with Pogačar and others having to bat fans out of the way.

The UAE car had to stop abruptly after a spectator fell into the road in front of it, with the driver's quick reaction only narrowly avoiding running the man over in front, but it had dire consequences behind.

Rubio did not have any time to stop or swerve and collided headfirst into the car's rear window, which smashed on impact. Rubio was able to stand up and walk away from the crash, but with multiple cuts to his face and blood covering his bike, he had to climb into an ambulance instead of finish the stage.

An hour in the medical truck

Cyclingnews initially reported that Rubio spent an hour in the medical truck that is always set up at the finishes of Tour de France stages.

He emerged with several bandages on his face, and then proceeded to try and drink from a bottle of water – a necessity given the athletic effort he'd put in earlier in the day but a struggle given his injuries.

This is not the end of Rubio's treatment, and he was later taken to a hospital near Grenoble to get further attention on his wounds.

There was a debate between Movistar staff and the ASO medical personnel about how best to get Rubio off the mountain, which is still packed with fans and vehicle traffic.

Rubio eventually stepped into the race ambulance and was driven with a police escort to a helipad where he was then taken off the mountain by a helicopter.

Decathlon CMA CGM DS Luke Rowe also said he had seen the incident.

"It was ugly out there," he said to TNT Sports. "Remco got blocked and struggled to move at one point, and I saw a Movistar rider at the side of the road, tangled up in a crash, covered in blood. So it was, honestly, it was really on the limit."

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There hasn't been a major doping scandal at the Tour de France for over a decade, but the decision to carry out nighttime anti-doping tests on multiple riders, including Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard, at the 2026 Tour has resurrected the ghosts of the past, sparked a myriad of questions and huge debate about cycling's anti-doping strategy and whether the riders are treated fairly.

Pogačar shrugged off the disruption to his sleep but also described the nighttime testing as 'inhumane' and went so far as to suggest that Vingegaard's crash was sparked by his loss of sleep.

Since then, CPA rider's association president Adam Hansen has questioned why riders should pay so much for such disruptive anti-doping testing, while Jonathan Vaughters blew up the internet with a rare but succinct post on X.

"I’ll roll this grenade down the aisle: 2 am testing is one of the very effective ways to prevent peptide(EPO,hGH) and testosterone microdosing. If UCI had tested us in 2001 at 2 am? We’d all have been suspended and saved the sport 25 years of drama," the EF Education team manager said, in defence of nighttime testing.

After Monday's rest day, it emerged that the International Testing Agency (ITA) has carried out a swath of daytime testing and the UCI publicly defended the testing process "in the service of a cleaner and more credible sport of cycling."

This is Cyclingnews' explainer of pro cycling's anti-doping system and what the recent nighttime test of the Tour de France means for the sport.

Cycling's eternal doping problem

Ever since riders began to race long distances for glory, prize money and sponsors, doping has been part of their performances and so a threat to the fair results and image of the sport.

The Tour de France pioneers drank cognac, used chloroform and took cocaine and other stimulants to dull the pain of racing.

"The truth is that we keep going on dynamite," Francis Pélissier once famously told French writer and journalist Albert Londres.

Doping was made illegal in France in 1965, but doping scandals continued, as doping moved from amphetamines to steroids, blood doping, EPO abuse and the Lance Armstrong years and his eventual lifetime ban and the cancellation of his seven Tour de France victories. The Tour de France results have been rewritten many times over the years.

Who manages the anti-doping process?

For many years, the UCI managed anti-doping in the sport, but this arrangement was widely criticised as a conflict of interest, amid reports that some positive tests were not adequately pursued and long-standing concerns about the governing body's independence.

The International Olympic Committee pushed for an independent body to distance itself from doping scandals, and so the International Testing Agency (ITA) was created in 2018 and began to work with International Federations and major sporting events, including the summer and winter Olympic Games.

The ITA Cycling unit was created in 2021 and absorbed the UCI anti-doping operations. ITA Cycling had an initial budget of €7 million, paid for by riders via a 2.7% of all race prize money. The UCI also pays a contribution, while race organisers pay a percentage of their prize pot and teams pay a flat fee of €215,000.

The ITA budget has risen to €10 million in recent years, with the UCI highlighting a 35% budget increase between 2021 and the end of 2024.

In 2026, ITA took responsibility for anti-doping legal proceedings regarding anti-doping violations and whereabouts failures. This is alongside their operational anti-doping testing, the monitoring of athlete biological passports and intelligence-gathering and investigations.

Anti-doping at the 2026 Tour de France

Before the 2026 Tour de France, ITA announced it carried out 360 out-of-competition tests in the month before the race, with 600 in-competition tests expected during the race, based on testing strategy, intelligence and investigations priorities and operational requirements.

ITA said it would put an increased focus on the endogenous steroid markers measured in blood serum as part of the steroidal module of the Athlete Biological Passport and on the endocrine module of the ABP to better detect markers of human Growth Hormone (hGH) abuse.

“The Tour de France remains one of the most visible and demanding events in international sport from an anti-doping perspective," ITA Director General Benjamin Cohen said.

"Our 2026 program reflects the continued evolution of cycling’s anti-doping strategy through intelligence-led testing, scientific advancements, strengthened investigative capabilities and close cooperation with our partners. We remain committed to protecting the integrity of the race and ensuring that all riders compete under the same rules and conditions."

Being selected for a test, including out-of-hours, is a standard part of anti-doping controls and does not imply any suspicion of, or wrongdoing by, the riders concerned. Neither Pogačar nor Vingegaard nor the other riders who have been tested have been accused of any anti-doping violation.

Nighttime testing

ITA stated that testing would be targeted and may occur at any point during the three-week race, not just at stage finishes. However, nobody expected the headline-grabbing, disruptive and divisive nighttime tests.

One trusted source told Cyclingnews that nighttime testing had only ever been done once before. Suddenly the two biggest Tour riders were awoken for testing between two key mountain stages.

News of the testing only emerged after a report in La Parisien and subsequent confirmation by Pogačar and Vingegaard.

Cyclingnews understands that other teams have been visited for testing outside of the usual 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. window, which is not typical but which is provided for within the UCI's rules.

What the UCI rules say

The WADA code and the UCI anti-doping rules are clear, with UCI rule 5.2.2 stating: "The UCI may require any Rider over whom it has Testing authority, who has not retired, including Riders serving a period of Ineligibility, to provide a Sample at any time and at any place."

However, a comment below the rule specifies: "The UCI may obtain additional authority to conduct Testing by means of bilateral or multilateral agreements with other Signatories. Unless the Rider has identified a sixty (60) minute Testing window between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., or has otherwise consented to Testing during that period, the UCI will not test a Rider during that period unless it has a serious and specific suspicion that the Rider may be engaged in doping. A challenge to whether the UCI had sufficient suspicion for Testing during this time period shall not be a defense to an anti-doping rule violation based on such test or attempted test."

ITA carried out the nighttime tests within the UCI rules. As noted above, being selected for a test - including out-of-hours - does not in itself imply any suspicion of, or wrongdoing by, the riders concerned.

What is the French law for nighttime testing?

The Tour de France is held under UCI rules, but French law and nighttime tests are also permitted under specific circumstances.

It is important to distinguish between the UCI’s own testing rules — which permit out-of-hours testing where there is “serious and specific suspicion” — and the separate French judicial authorisation process under the Code for Sport. The two regimes operate independently, and the fact that either procedure was invoked does not constitute a finding or allegation that any rider has committed an anti-doping rule violation.

Under the French Code for Sport L232-14-4, an investigative judge 'des libertés et de la détention' (freedoms and detention) "verifies in all cases that there are serious and consistent suspicions against the athlete that he has contravened or will contravene the provisions of this chapter and a risk of disappearance of evidence." This provision governs judicial authorisation for testing where a rider's consent is not obtained, rather than defining the 11 p.m.-6 a.m. window itself, which sits in the related article L232-14-1.

Vaughters suggested that a French judge may sign off permission for nighttime testing based on little concrete evidence, but so far the details of ITA's legal request to test have not been revealed, citing the confidentiality of their anti‑doping strategy.

"The timing of a control is determined through a risk-based assessment that takes into account a range of relevant factors and information. It is therefore not arbitrary, but nor should it be interpreted as evidence that a rider has committed an anti-doping rule violation," ITA told Cyclingnews.

Of course, there is a clear difference and long legal process between any "serious and specific suspicion" and a confirmed "anti-doping rule violation" that usually ends with a suspension.

Extra testing on the Tour de France rest day

ITA claims its Tour de France anti-doping programme "features a targeted, intelligence-led testing plan grounded in the latest scientific developments and risk-based analysis.. However, on Monday's second rest day, they also carried out a mass testing of the peloton as part of the Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) programme.

All riders in the peloton were included in the testing mission, which forms part of the ITA’s ongoing intelligence - and risk-based anti-doping program for the race," ITA said in another statement.

"Collecting additional blood samples enables the ITA to assess variations in relevant haematological biological markers and strengthen the longitudinal monitoring of each rider’s individual profile."

The UCI's position

The UCI delegates its anti-doping procedures to ITA and issued a statement on Wednesday defending the nighttime testing and ITA's work.

"The UCI of course acknowledges that nighttime testing can disrupt riders' rest and recovery, and wishes to reiterate that carrying out such controls outside normal hours remains an exceptional measure, reserved for limited and justified circumstances. While fully aware of how onerous such a measure is for riders, the UCI nevertheless underscores that these controls serve an overriding interest: the fight against doping.

What happens next?

The Tour de France climbs into the Alps and then ends in Paris on Sunday.

Anti-doping tests usually take between seven and ten days to be analysed, with positive cases taking much longer due to the legal process and disciplinary process.

In theory, we should know the initial outcome of the nighttime tests before the Tour de France ends on Sunday evening. It will be up to the athletes involved to decide if they will immediately reveal the results of the tests.

The debate about the fairness and effectiveness of nighttime testing will surely run on much longer.

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The UCI has released a statement in support of the International Testing Agency (ITA), following the organisation's recent night-time anti-doping controls at the Tour de France.

The ITA, which has managed cycling's anti-doping testing since 2021, visited Tour de France leader Tadej Pogačar and former second-placed man Jonas Vingegaard outside of normal hours (between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m., as stated in UCI regulations) on Sunday morning.

On Tuesday, Cyclingnews learned that five other teams have also been subjected to testing before 5a.m during the Tour de France.

Being selected for a test, including out-of-hours, is a standard part of anti-doping controls and does not imply any suspicion of, or wrongdoing by, the riders concerned. Neither Pogačar nor Vingegaard have been accused of any anti-doping violation.

The tests provoked several strong reactions from riders – including Remco Evenepoel – and rider unions. The Cyclistes Professionnels Associés (CPA) released a statement in response to the tests calling for a "fairer fight against doping" and stating, "It is clear that this practice hinders athletes' recovery during the most important and difficult race on the global calendar and runs counter to the intended objectives."

In response to the criticisms, the UCI released a statement approving the ITA's actions on Wednesday afternoon.

"Following a number of reactions in recent days to unannounced anti-doping controls carried out by the International Testing Agency (ITA) during the Tour de France – in particular following the statement issued by the association of professional riders (CPA) – the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) wishes to respond and to reaffirm that the fight against doping is an absolute priority," the statement read.

"The UCI of course acknowledges that nighttime testing can disrupt riders' rest and recovery, and wishes to reiterate that carrying out such controls outside normal hours remains an exceptional measure, reserved for limited and justified circumstances. While fully aware of how onerous such a measure is for riders, the UCI nevertheless underscores that these controls serve an overriding interest: the fight against doping."

The UCI had been in charge of anti-doping in the sport before handing over management of testing to the ITA five years ago. The ITA is a Swiss-based organisation, which independently manages anti-doping programmes for various international sporting federations and event organisers.

The UCI reiterated its support of the ITA in its mission.

"In 2021, the UCI entrusted the ITA with the management of its anti-doping programme – including the planning and execution of controls – in order to guarantee its independence and maximise its effectiveness," the UCI statement continued.

"With this in mind, the UCI fully supports the ITA's use of every means at its disposal to carry out its mission as effectively as possible, in compliance, naturally, with the World Anti-Doping Code of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), UCI Regulations, and legislation applicable in each country for the conduct of controls (as in the present case, with the approval of the competent judge) and/or the gathering of intelligence.

"The UCI considers it essential that all stakeholders unite and support the anti-doping programme in place in cycling, which is now recognised by the relevant sporting authorities as a benchmark in this field.

"The requirement for independence, rigour and effectiveness in its anti-doping programme comes at a cost to cycling, one borne collectively by all of its stakeholders: every year, more than €10 million is invested in the collection, analysis and re-analysis of samples, as well as in intelligence-gathering, across events falling within the UCI's regulatory remit, including the Tour de France.

"This investment reflects the UCI's determination to protect riders who respect the rules, and to relentlessly pursue the reinforcement of its arsenal against those who cheat.

"The UCI will continue to support the ITA in carrying out its mission, in full and complete respect for its independence, in the service of a cleaner and more credible sport of cycling."

There have been no reports of any further night-time tests since Sunday morning, though all riders at the Tour de France provided biological passport samples during normal testing hours during the race's rest day on Monday, alongside other customary tests.

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All riders still in the Tour de France provided blood samples on Monday's rest day as part of the Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) programme, a longitudinal way of monitoring biological variables in riders' blood that sits apart from regular anti-doping tests.

First reported by Cycling Weekly and L'Equipe, Cyclingnews has received the same information confirming that the 166 riders still left in the race on the second rest day provided samples to the International Testing Agency (ITA) with support from the French anti-doping agency, the AFLD.

All riders on the Tour start list also provided samples in the days running up to the start of the race in Barcelona.

"The International Testing Agency (ITA) confirms that a comprehensive blood Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) testing mission was carried out during the Tour de France rest day on 20 July 2026. All riders in the peloton were included in the testing mission, which forms part of the ITA’s ongoing intelligence- and risk-based anti-doping program for the race," a statement provided by the ITA reads.

"This mission complements the standard pre-competition testing conducted on all riders in the days preceding the Grand Départ and any test already conducted during the race. Collecting additional blood samples enables the ITA to assess variations in relevant haematological biological markers and strengthen the longitudinal monitoring of each rider’s individual profile. It was supported by sample collection personnel from the French national anti-doping agency - AFLD."

The ABP was introduced to cycling in 2008, and acts as a longitudinal way for anti-doping authorities to detect any changes over time in biological levels in the blood such as hematocrit levels and other variables. The programme "does not seek to detect a prohibited substance or method directly", in the words of the ITA.

"Instead, it monitors selected biological variables over time to identify changes that may indicate the effects of doping and inform further anti-doping action," it said.

Providing regular samples for the ABP programme is distinct from standard anti-doping testing, and is not indicative of any wrongdoing nor suspicion of wrongdoing, and all riders in men's WorldTeams and ProTeams are automatically part of the programme, regardless of any other factors. Samples are routinely collected at regular intervals, including before, during and after big events, and out of competition.

Over time, the data collected in a rider's ABP programme can reveal abnormalities and lead to sanctions, but providing data itself is routine and not indicative of anything unusual. Last year, WorldTour rider Oier Lazkano was suspended after abnormal values were noted in his ABP.

ABP samples do not provide 'results', per se; rather, the data is stored and analysed over time.

Testing at the Tour de France has been in headlines over the last few days, after multiple riders spoke out about being woken up during the night by testers. Before the race, the ITA confirmed that they would be carrying out some 600 tests during the Tour, which equates to just over 25 per day.

Usually, these routine tests do not make headlines, and regular testing at the Tour is nothing out of the ordinary, but has become a major talking point this year.

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EF Education-EasyPost team manager Jonathan Vaughters has defended night-time anti-doping tests at the Tour de France.

He suggested that if such tests had been carried out when he was racing 25 years ago, it could have exposed more cases of doping and "saved the sport 25 years of drama."

Vaughters posted his initial thoughts on social media and then spoke further to Cyclingnews and other media before the stage 16 time trial in Évian on Tuesday morning.

He said that limited night-time testing is a good thing and openly apologised to the current generation of riders who he suggests are still facing the consequences of the doping of his own generation.

Vaughters was a teammate of Lance Armstrong at the U.S. Postal Service team and later testified in the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency's investigation that led to Armstrong losing his seven Tour de France victories.

Current Tour de France race leader Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) revealed that they were awoken during the night before stage 15 for night-time anti-doping tests. Cyclingnews understands that other teams have been visited for testing outside of the usual 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. window, which is not typical but which is provided for within the UCI's rules.

Being selected for a test, including out-of-hours, is a standard part of anti-doping controls and does not imply any suspicion of, or wrongdoing by, the riders concerned. Pogačar, Vingegaard and any other riders in the Tour peloton have not been accused of any anti-doping violation.

Vaughters reiterated his thoughts and spoke at length at the start of the Tour de France stage 16 time trial on July 21, 2026.

We have published the interview in a Q&A format, with slight edits in parts for clarity.

Jonathan Vaughters Q&A

Jonathan Vaughters: I don't love it for the riders, I don't like that their sleep is being disturbed. However, when it comes down to it, it is very difficult to detect hormones and peptides such as EPO, human growth hormone, et cetera. The clearance time on a lot of these can be quite quickly [the time it takes for a substance to leave your body]. So one of the very few weapons anti-doping agencies have to make sure that there's not a microdosing effort going on is to basically be able to test whenever they can.

My opinion is, although I don't like that they lost sleep, and I don't love that, but I would rather lose sleep than lose credibility.

My guess is that those tests are going to turn out to be fine and that then you've established more credibility for the sport than we had before, and we're showing that we're doing something that no other sport is even coming close to doing in terms of anti-doping testing

So, I get the concerns over it, but I think from a very big picture standpoint, it helps the sport, and it helps those riders show what they're doing transparently.

Question: But there are a lot of insinuations now because they have to have a clear reason to do those tests at midnight. It's not standard protocol. That creates, of course, an atmosphere that is not positive for cycling.

JV: We don't know when [the International Testing Authority sought authorisation from a French judge to conduct out-of-hours testing]. Unfortunately, the history of cycling, which I was part of the problem, to be blunt. Because of that history, you're going to be able to find a French judge that is going to give you a favourable warrant to exercise that sort of extreme protocol.

My guess is that they're not basing that warrant on any specific suspicion that they were able to get the warrant based on performance, based on the history of the sport and who knows what else.

I don't think we should read too much into that because I think it would be very easy to find a French judge that would be favourable to issuing that sort of thing because of the history of the sport, and that's unfortunate, but here we are.

[Editor's note: French publications L'Equipe and AFP reported on Monday that the ITA sought permission for overnight testing from a French judge, under French sports code article L232-14-4, which requires additional permission for tests between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. Additional permission was granted per specific test, Cyclingnews understands. It is unclear when the permissions were sought, or the reasons for the request. The ITA states: "The timing of a control is determined through a risk-based assessment that takes into account a range of relevant factors and information. It is therefore not arbitrary, but nor should it be interpreted as evidence that a rider has committed an anti-doping rule violation.]

Q: Should this kind of testing already have been done in your time when you were racing?

JV: 100%. I said this yesterday on Twitter, but I'll say it again now, that if we had had 2 a.m., 4 a.m. testing in 2000, 2001 when the EPO test was first introduced, we would have had a huge number of riders immediately banned from the sport then, including me, and we would have saved the sport 25 years of drama.

[Editor's note: The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) first introduced provisions for overnight testing in January 2015. It was allowed in France later that year. The UCI follows the WADA code, with the ITA administering testing on its behalf.]

We wouldn't have had to go through the whole Lance Armstrong and this and that, blah blah blah. No, it wouldn't have happened because the problem would have been solved immediately in the race in 2000. Would you trade 25 years of drama for a few wake-up calls? I think the answer would be yes.

Q: Is the current generation paying for the mistakes of the previous generation?

JV: In my opinion, yes, I think definitely that this current generation is paying for the reputation of the sport previously.

My guess is, again, I don't know this, but it would be much more difficult to go to a French judge and get this sort of warrant executed for a football team. Whereas with the cycling team, the previous generation probably facilitated that. For sure they are, and so for that part I feel very sorry for. We should have been doing this years and years ago. And maybe if we had been doing it years ago, we wouldn't have to be doing it right now.

Q: You tweeted that maybe your generation should apologise to the current generation for what's happened.

JV: Yes, 100%. I'm willing to say that directly to the camera that I do think that we should apologise to the current generation for the atmosphere that they have to function under nowadays with regards to anti-doping.

Q: Have there been tests last night at EF? There were a lot more tests, not in the middle of the night but later in the evening.

JV: Yeah, we were tested at about 10 p.m. last night. So, not 2 a.m., but late in the evening.

Q: Have you been tested at all before last night out of hours, any sort of outside of the window testing out of this?

JV: No.

Q: And what about previous Tours? Maybe since you've been a manager.

JV: I've never heard of a 2 a.m. test before. That doesn't mean it hasn't happened. I'm not sure, but I don't think that those two, Vingegaard and Pogačar, were the only people tested. There were others, but I don't know who they were.

I can tell you they weren't on our team, but I think there were others. Which probably should have remained private, but it's only because the riders started talking about it that it's a controversy.

Q: Do you believe that there's a tangible difference between a 2 a.m. test, a 10 p.m. test, and say a breakfast test, 6 a.m.?

JV: Yes, absolutely. If you are introducing a low enough dose of sort of a peptide hormone, you know, the clearance time can be four hours. So if you were to take that at 11 p.m., that means it's cleared out of your system at 3 a.m. So yes, there is a difference.

Now, of course, testing technology is evolving very quickly. Maybe it won't be necessary in a few years, but I do understand why they're doing it now.

Q: There's a lot of controversy, a lot of riders complaining. You're obviously taking a slightly different view to most. Is that something you communicate to the team, and how do the riders feel about this whole topic?

JV: I explained it to my riders exactly how I'm explaining it to you. I said, 'Listen, here's the background', and I said if we'd done this in 2001, 25 years ago, you would have never had all these scandals, and it would have been 'You're not racing, see you later, see you two years from now'.

I explained to them that if they had implemented this earlier, the sport would be in a better place, a more credible place. There probably wouldn't have been nearly as many scandals like Operation Puerto. A lot of those were based on this ability to microdose, in addition to the blood doping.

I could get into the technicalities of all that, but it would take forever. That it didn't happen in our generation means basically they're sort of paying the price for it. But it's good that it's happening now.

And I just said: 'Guys, just be thankful that like it's, this is cycling re-earning its credibility and that you guys are getting to race in a cleaner environment and that you're getting to prove that you're racing in a cleaner environment by this stuff happening.'

I apologised to them. I said, 'Listen, I'm sorry that I'm sort of the cause of this, but this is good'. But at the same time I would never tell them to speak to the media and say you have to say it's good too. I said: 'Your opinion is your opinion on this. You're free. I'm just giving you the scientific background of how this works and why they're doing it and then the history as to why it's happening.'

Q: Have you noticed an uptick in general in this Tour in terms of the amount of testing that's been done in hotels, not necessarily out of hours

JV: Not for our team, no. But I don't know what the overall numbers are.

Q: Are you confident that fans at home can believe what they're seeing in this Tour de France? Because obviously the headlines are going to say one thing but the reality can be much different.

JV: Let's be clear. I think getting French judicial permission was probably fairly easy for a bike race, so I don't actually think you should read into that. I think that the fact that the tests are going on at 2 a.m, that's a step that no other sport is even coming close to making. So if you want to trust a sport, you should trust cycling because [in] most other sports, bluntly put, the testing is a complete joke.

So if you're going to watch other sports, pretty much any other professional sport, understand that you're watching sports that the testing is essentially a joke compared to this. If you want to watch a clean sport, watch cycling.

Now, why is cycling so hyper-focused on this? Well, it's the history, but also this is human Formula 1 car racing. This is the edge of human performance. Boundaries are always going to be pushed. If we want to keep that in the confines of the rules, you're always going to have to push back. This isn't like kicking a ball around or whatever.

This is human motors. Is doping a risk factor? It's always going to be a risk factor, but that means you also have to take equally extreme measures to keep it within the bounds of the rules. So I'm supportive of that.

Q: Do you believe that the riders can push the boundaries of the sport if their sleep is so massively interrupted?

JV: It sucks, and if it happened all the time, I would probably be a little bit more circumspect than I am with this. But the fact of the matter is it's happening once or twice a year, is a great deterrent. I mean: lose a little sleep, gain a lot of credibility.

Q: What percentage would you say of the testing protocols going on right now is sending a message, and what percentage is now looking for something?

JV: I couldn't answer that because it's just that's inside ITA. I don't know what they're doing. They're not going to tell me.

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The professional cyclists' riders association, Cyclistes Professionnels Associés (CPA), have confirmed that Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard were not the only two riders subjected to anti-doping controls in the dead of the night during the Tour de France this weekend, and are calling for a 'fairer fight against doping'.

In the early hours of Sunday morning before the mountainous stage to Plateau de Solaison, Vingegaard was rousted at 2:00 a.m. local time for a doping control and Pogačar three hours later. Cyclingnews understands that five other teams were targeted for controls at or before 5:00 a.m., which is not typical under UCI and WADA rules, which restrict testing to a 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. window.

In a press release, the CPA said that they are committed to "a strong, credible, and effective anti-doping effort" but raised concerns about overnight testing.

"Professional riders are the first to want a clean sport. To preserve the integrity of their discipline, they contribute directly to funding the fight against doping (they are the only athletes who contribute financially to testing)," the CPA statement read.

"However, nighttime testing raises questions about its relevance: Interrupting their rest in the middle of the night for testing now warrants serious consideration."

The CPA stated that WADA rules were put into place to protect athletes' health and maintain fairness in sport, but said riders' sleep was also essential.

"The Tour de France is a competition that demands exceptional physical effort," the CPA wrote. "The quality of sleep and recovery is essential not only for performance but also for the health and safety of the riders. It is clear that this practice hinders athletes' recovery during the most important and difficult race on the global calendar and runs counter to the intended objectives."

Testing overnight is the only way to uncover the use of performance-enhancing substances that are cleared rapidly from the bloodstream and, if taken before bedtime, would be undetectable in the normal testing window.

However, the CPA argued that the anti-doping authorities should invest more in advanced detection technologies rather than make a habit of interrupting athletes' sleep, writing: "Cycling contributes approximately €10 million to funding the fight against doping within the International Testing Agency (ITA) for the collection and analysis of samples, while at the same time the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) spends, on average, only $5 million per year across all sports on basic research to develop new methods for detecting and identifying new doping substances.

"Would it not therefore be more appropriate to invest more in scientific research and detection technologies, rather than increasing the number of particularly intrusive unannounced tests?

"Our goal is not to call into question the fight against doping — quite the contrary. We want it to be increasingly effective, targeted, and efficient in identifying true cheaters, but always while respecting athletes' fundamental rights, health, and recovery conditions.

"We also want to ensure that fairness in sports is maintained among athletes and that everyone can benefit from adequate recovery, whereas these targeted and physically taxing tests, on the contrary, hinder it.

"Furthermore, the CPA hopes that all stakeholders will come together to clarify the existing processes and, among other things, ensure that the tests conducted are carried out within a strict legal framework.

"An effective fight against doping is essential. An intelligent fight against doping is just as essential."

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The International Testing Agency (ITA) has confirmed they carried out the nighttime anti-doping tests on Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard at the Tour de France and has defended the need to disrupt riders' sleep and recovery to carry out "effective testing".

The ITA claimed in a statement sent to Cyclingnews and other media that the tests were done with "consideration for riders' welfare, equity and fundamental rights."

"The ITA is conscious that night-time testing may be disruptive to riders' rest and recovery. Due consideration has therefore been given to minimise as much as possible the impact testing activities have on riders," the ITA said in the statement.

"However, the ITA, on behalf of the UCI, has the responsibility to ensure the effectiveness of the cycling anti-doping program and the integrity of cycling races. As such, effective testing must, in limited and justified circumstances, be capable to occur outside standard daytime hours.

"All testing activities conducted at the Tour de France and at any other international events, including decisions as to the specific timing of such tests, are carried out in accordance with the ITA’s testing strategy and subject to the safeguards established under the World Anti-Doping Code, the UCI Anti-Doping Rules and French law, with due consideration for riders’ welfare, equity and fundamental rights."

The ITA is a not-for-profit organisation, based in Lausanne, Switzerland, with a mission to manage anti-doping programmes, independently for international federations and event organisers. Cycling's anti-doping programme is funded by the different stakeholders, including the UCI, riders and teams.

Pogačar and several other riders were critical of the night-time testing, with the Tour leader going as far as suggesting that Vingegaard's lack of sleep after his 2am anti-doping test could have been one of the reasons for his crash and fractured collarbone.

Both Vingegaard and his Visma-Lease a Bike team played down the idea that the nighttime anti-doping test was a factor.

Pogačar was tested at 5am before stage 15. He revealed he has also faced other early morning tests during the Spring Classics and the Tour de France.

"It's a little bit strange, but I accept it if this is necessary to still prove we are riding clean, then if this is necessary then I totally accept it and I commit to this. But it's a bit shit when you sleep for four hours in one day in the middle of a three week Tour," Pogačar said.

Pascal Chanteur, president of the French UNCP rider association suggested that the riders were being harassed, while Remco Evenepoel called on the CPA rider's association to act.

"It is inhuman to wake us up, we had a long transfer, and to wake them up like that is pretty disrespectful," the Belgian said.

However the UCI anti-doping rules are clear regarding nighttime testing between 11pm and 6am.

"The UCI may require any Rider over whom it has Testing authority, who has not retired, including Riders serving a period of Ineligibility, to provide a Sample at any time and at any place," rule 5.2.2 explains, but goes on to clarify that "Unless the rider has identified a sixty minute testing window between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., or has otherwise consented to testing during that period, the UCI will not test a rider during that period unless it has a serious and specific suspicion that the Rider may be engaged in doping."

The ITA did not answer a specific question from Cyclingnews about any suspicions of doping in this case, saying its testing strategies remain confidential.

UAE Team Emirates and Visma-Lease a Bike have both been approached for comment.

Our view

Why test at odd hours?

While professional cycling has not seen a major doping scandal for a decade, it is theoretically possible that athletes could benefit from overnight micro-dosing of blood boosting EPO or recovery products, with any traces of the doping disappearing before daytime testing is carried out.

Before the Tour de France began in Barcelona, the ITA explained that its anti-doping strategy is "based on an adaptive risk assessment approach that integrates various dynamic factors, such as rider performance trends, to ensure strategic testing throughout the event. Insights from the ABP (Athlete Biological Passport), including the endocrine module, as well as information gathered by the ITA’s dedicated cycling team within its Intelligence & Investigations (I&I) department, inform these efforts."

ITA claimed it carried out over 360 out of competition tests in the month before the Tour de France, with 600 tests expected during the race. Samples will be kept for 10-years for potential re-analysis.

"Testing during the Tour de France will be targeted and may occur at any point during the three-week race, not just at stage finishes," ITA made clear on July 1 in a statement.

"We remain committed to protecting the integrity of the race and ensuring that all riders compete under the same rules and conditions," said ITA Director General Benjamin Cohen.

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The first- and second-placed riders in the Tour de France were both woken for anti-doping tests on Saturday night. Race leader Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) was woken at 5 a.m., while Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) was tested three hours earlier.

The UCI has engaged the International Testing Agency (ITA) to conduct its anti-doping activities, and it seems the testers were out in force after stage 14 to Le Markstein, which was won by Pogačar.

It's understood he and Vingegaard were staying in separate hotels, with Visma-Lease a Bike in the town of Besançon.

"I guess the ITA didn't allow me to sleep very much" Vingegaard told Eurosport before Sunday's stage. "I was sleeping very well, and somebody knocked on my door at 2 a.m. - a big surprise to me. Of course it's good that they test, but when it's affecting performance and your sleep, I don't think that it's so good.

"I think it took me about 40 minutes before I was back in my room, so it was not the best night, I still feel OK. I cannot change it but that's a part of it. Hopefully, I'm not the only one because it has to be equal for everyone."

He wasn't the only one. Some three hours after Vingegaard was awoken, Pogačar got the knock.

"I got four hours of sleep," the yellow jersey told Eurosport. "I always go to sleep late, so it was a big shock for me, but I had a very cool, long morning. I couldn't fall back to sleep, so I was chilling listening to some old Eminem hits and making coffee, so I'm caffeinated and ready to start the day but it was definitely not nice to get woken up in the middle of sweet dreams."

Cycling has a dark past with doping, and anti-doping is an essential part of preventing a return to what might be called the bad old days. At races, stage winners, overall leader and a selection of riders are chosen for testing each day, with the latter group chosen either randomly or deliberately targeted based on intelligence.

While being awoken in the middle of the night is certainly detrimental to recovery, especially 14 stages into the Tour de France, it could be argued as a necessary evil, especially to prevent what is known as micro-dosing, where small amounts of prohibited substances could be flushed from the system before the morning.

"They come randomly in the mornings through the Tour and today chose nighttime," added Pogačar. "I feel sorry for the guys that are controlling because I can imagine that some guys get upset and angry with them, but it's not their fault; they're just doing their jobs."

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A press vehicle crashed into barriers during the arrival of the Tour de France in Ussel in Corrèze on Sunday, injuring eight spectators, one of them seriously, the prefecture said.

Before the breakaway - led to the line by stage winner Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech) - arrived, around 5:00 PM, the driver of a car belonging to the newspaper L'Equipe "fell ill" less than 500 meters from the finish line.

The vehicle crashed into the barriers lining the course and injured eight the spectators who were behind it, the Corrèze préfecture told AFP.

One of injured was in critical condition on Sunday, but their life was not in danger, and the seven other people were slightly injured, the same source added.

The vehicle could be seen still adjacent to the finishing straight with the barriers put back into place as the breakaway sprinted past with 500 metres to go.

The Tulle prosecutor's office has opened an investigation to determine the circumstances of the accident. The driver has not been taken into custody, the prosecutor's office stated.

Stage 9 of the Tour de France had been shortened by 30 kilometers due to the heatwave on Sunday in Corrèze.

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This year, we've seen riders disqualified from racing for a variety of reasons. Among them have been Lorena Wiebes' underweight bike, Jan Willem Van Schip's riding position and non-compliant clothing, and Filippo D'Aiuto's too-narrow handlebars.

The weekend saw another strange disqualification added to the list – a rider thrown off a race for his use of wearable technology.

Former Katusha and Burgos racer Willie Smit, this year racing for the China Anta-Mentech team, took to social media on Sunday to announce that he had been disqualified after the opening stage of the Tour of Magnificent Qinghai for wearing video-recording glasses.

"Today I was disqualified for the first time in my cycling career (14 years), for wearing glasses that record video," Smit posted on X.

"Unfortunately, I was not aware of a new rule that was implemented in April that prohibited this. A warning, fine or yellow card could have also been enough."

The rule he refers to is UCI regulation 1.3.006 bis concerning the use of onboard technology. The regulation authorises the use of devices which capture various data, including: 'Image: still or moving images or footage captured from the bicycle (such devices may only be fitted on the bicycle unless specific regulations of a given discipline authorise devices being worn by riders).'

Video-recording glasses are not covered under this regulation, and so the penalty for using such a 'forbidden onboard technology device' equals 'start refused, elimination or disqualification'.

As a result, Smit was disqualified from stage 1 in Qinghai, a 120.6km sprint stage in Xining, won by Alexander Salby of Li Ning Star.

"But what I struggle to understand is why In the Tour de France can you quite literally vlog with a camera in your hand which is perfectly legal...but because the camera is in the glasses you get an automatic Disqualification?!" Smith wrote.

"Yes, if I knew about the rule, I would have also never posted it on social media. Anyways, I'll take it on the chin.

"Here is the video that got me disqualified & the other video is just to show what is completely allowed it seems. And lastly, my glasses have absolutely no AI capabilities unless used with a phone. So on the bike it can do nothing but record video!"

Smit illustrated his post with his own sunglasses-recorded video and that of Toms Skujinš at the Tour de France, though the Latvian is recording with a seemingly legal handheld camera rather than video-recording glasses.

Last year, our senior tech writer Will Jones reviewed the shades which Smit uses to vlog – the Oakley Meta Vanguard AI glasses – and described them as "technically brilliant, but undeniably creepy".

We'll wait to see whether the UCI update their rulebook, but the creep factor – the glasses, which feature a 12MP camera and Meta AI technology, raise concerns over covert filming – does rather seem to rather overshadow their usefulness.

Huub Artz (Lotto-Intermarché) dropped out of the breakaway on stage 5 of the Tour de France, shortly after lengthy discussions with the race officials that apparently centred on his position on the bike.

The Dutch rider was pulled up by the vehicles of the UCI race commissaires, and on the television coverage he could be heard asking them: "What's the limit? Can you explain what's wrong? Everybody does it."

The cameras then showed one of the officials inside the car bending forward to mimic an aerodynamic position on the bike. Along with earlier footage of Artz in the race, it was soon apparent that this related to the rule that states a rider cannot use the forearms as a point of support on the bike.

Artz was not happy and, after telling his breakaway companion Mads Pedersen what had happened, he eased up and let his breakaway sail away.

At first, it looked like he might have been ordered to stop, perhaps even disqualified from the race, but the various on-bike television commentators soon confirmed that he had simply received a warning for an illegal position.

Eurosport's Jens Voigt indicated that Artz was frustrated and so, with the breakaway's lead only slim, threw in the towel, though he later told the In De Waaier podcast that he dropped back because the move offered no tactical advantage when a larger group didn't jump across, so was wasted energy.

He also said in a report on Sporza that: "I discussed with the jury exactly what wasn't allowed. Apparently, it wasn't my hand position on the handlebars, but rather how I positioned myself on the descent."

The forearms rule came into force in 2021, in response to safety concerns over the so-called 'puppy paws' position in which riders would rest their wrists on the handlebars and let their hands flop over the front, in search of a more aerodynamic position.

Riders have adapted and now make sure their hands are in contact with the hoods at all times, but some still lower themselves so their forearms are also in contact with the bars.

There is some inconsistency in the way the rule is policed. Artz's position is a common one in the pro peloton, and soon enough footage emerged of Victor Campenaerts (Visma-Lease a Bike) adopting a very similar position in the very same breakaway.

"I looked into what the limit is and honestly thought it wouldn't be a problem. I have a lot of respect for the jury and absolutely do not want to argue with them," said Artz in the Sporza report.

"But clarity is necessary, because if I don't know what is allowed, it scares me off from going on the offensive. So I would like some more explanation."

It is understood that riders might receive a warning in a race, with repeat infractions leading to disqualification. That was the case with Jan Willem Van Schip, who recently said he doesn't "feel welcome in cycling" after being cut from a race by the UCI over the forearm position.

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A total of twelve seconds passed between Tadej Pogačar crossing the line on stage 5 of the Tour de France and his great rival Jonas Vingegaard doing so, but both riders were given the same time in the race results.

Vingegaard, who had to jump onto a teammate's bike after being held up by a late crash, finished the day in 52nd place, 31 places down on Pogačar, who led the GC group home as the sprinters contested the stage victory 14 seconds up the road.

There was plenty of real-world time, and daylight, between Pogačar and Vingegaard, so why didn't the Dane lose any time?

That comes down to the 'three-second rule' on sprint stages, a regulation which has been in place since the middle of the 2017 season, applied by race commissaires rather than as a blanket rule.

The rule is an adaptation of the standard one-second rule, which which states the following:

"If there is a difference of one second or more between the back of the back wheel of the last rider in a group and the front of the front wheel of the first rider of the following group, the timekeeper-commissaires shall give a new time taken on the first rider of this group.

"Any difference of one second or more (back wheel – front wheel) between riders implies a new time."

If applied on stage 5, that regulation would have seen Vingegaard shed time to his GC rivals, as there were plenty of one-second gaps between riders who were crossing the line in dribs and drabs.

However, with the gap needed to trigger a new group timing extended to three seconds on sprint stages at the Tour de France, he managed to avoid such a fate.

Vingegaard scrambled to the finish with teammate Davide Piganzoli, while the riders ahead of them who were trailing home in the wake of the Pogačar group were all within three seconds of one another, allowing the Dane to be given the same time as Pogačar and co.

"There were riders in between everywhere, so you didn't have gaps of three seconds," said Visma director Marc Reef said after the stage. "There were about ten seconds between Pogačar and Jonas, but with riders in between. Then everyone is given the same time."

The rule is in place so riders don't need to take unnecessary risks on the run to the line as sprinters and their trains do battle at the head of the peloton.

The times, measured by the photo finish camera at the finish line, allow riders in the largest group or main peloton to relax somewhat as they ride to the line on flat stages, rather than battle over every place and every second.

On stage 5, the GC riders slowed up in the final kilometres to let a small group of sprinters do their thing in Pau.

Further back, Visma-Lease a Bike put on a frantic late chase after Vingegaard was held up just outside the 5km GC 'safe zone' – an extension of the 3km rule whereby GC times are neutralised in the event of a crash.

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In an unprecedented situation, the next two stages of the Tour de France could be cancelled due to wildfires and high temperatures for the first time in the race's history.

A wildfire broke out on Saturday evening in the Pyrénées-Orientales department, the destination of stage 3 to Les Angles. Around 700 firefighters have been mobilised to battle the Trévillach wildfire, around 60km east of Les Angles.

"The fire has flared up again, and all resources are being mobilised to contain it," regional governor Pierre Regnault de la Mothe said, according to Ouest-France.fr. The blaze has forced the closure of departmental road 66, a major route between the coast and Monday's Tour de France stage finish.

"It is closed firstly because it is necessary to facilitate the work of the emergency services. Secondly, it is necessary to preserve the safety of road users themselves," Regnault de la Mothe said.

Whether or not the Tour de France stage can go ahead will be decided imminently, he added.

"This is a matter we are working on this afternoon. We will be able to make a decision by the end of the day."

The situation could be aided by the wind dying down, which could help firefighters get the blaze under control.

"There should be a lull tomorrow morning. And we hope that this evening we can make progress on the fire's flanks and try to hold them a little longer than we can today."

The fire isn't the race's only major concern: the weather forecast for Tuesday's stage from Carcassonne to Foix could be the first to be cancelled due to a Code Red weather alert.

Temperatures in the region are expected to peak at 41°C (101°F), which could exceed the limit set by the French Ministry of the Interior for safe running of outdoor sporting events.

"As an exceptional measure and in consultation with the organiser and all stakeholders, you may decide to cancel a stage when health or operational conditions no longer allow us to simultaneously ensure the safety of spectators, mobilised personnel and the continuity of the response to emergencies for the population," the Ministry instructed the French prefects hosting the Tour de France this weekend.

According to reports, Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme said the race is monitoring the situation. The UCI rules allow for several measures under their High Temperature Protocol, including changing start times, neutralising parts of the stage, or cancellation.

Stage 4 passes straight through the Occitanie region, which is under a severe drought with several smaller wildfires forcing evacuations and road closures.

Even if the Tour de France route is not directly threatened, the pressure on emergency services could strain the resources available to the race.

Stay tuned to Cyclingnews for updates on this developing situation.

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At the start of the Tour de France stage 1 team time trial in Barcelona I watched rider after rider stopped by UCI officials as they left the makeshift warm-up area behind the start ramp. They were being forced to remove any ice socks that they'd stuffed into their skinsuits.

On a day where temperatures soared past 30° C, riders were using every trick in the book to keep their core temperatures down before the start: ice vests, misting fans, alcohol sprays, a strange arm cold water tub for the Netcompany Ineos riders, as well as the oldest tactic of them all — ice socks.

For the uninitiated, these are simply pairs of tights, cut down, stuffed with ice cubes and then tied off, and riders generally put them into the back of their skinsuits behind their necks.

Not only does the cold help to chill the rider but as the ice melts and the water then evaporates it removes heat in the process.

They are a common sight at the start of — and indeed during — almost every warm race in the calendar, but the UCI is seemingly now cracking down on their use.

"It changes the morphology of the riders' shape," the commissaire enforcing the rule explained to Cyclingnews, moments after stopping Victor Campenaerts.

“I know it’s only a little thing, but you have to draw the line. If you allow sometimes but not others, it’s not fair. And if you allow a little, riders may take more,” he said.

Indeed, article 1.3.032 of the UCI's technical regulations states: “Clothing and other items or accessories worn by a rider (including but not limited to helmets, glasses, shoes or in-race communication devices) may not modify the morphology of the rider.

"Moreover, any non-essential element which is added on (or under) or integrated in any clothing, or other item or accessory worn by a rider shall be forbidden. A non-essential element shall be any element which does not have a purpose which is exclusively of clothing or protection, or which is not strictly necessary for the functionality of the clothing, or other item or accessory. This shall also apply regarding any material or substance applied onto the skin or clothing and which is not itself an item of clothing or another item or accessory worn by a rider."

There's little doubt that a pair of tights is clothing, and that an ice sock down the back of a skinsuit can be classed as an element added under clothing, but I'm sure some would argue against the 'non-essential' part of the rule's wording, given the blistering heat on the streets of Barcelona on Saturday.

The confusion among staff and riders of various teams as they were stopped from entering the start ramp suggested it was a new rule to some of them, but Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe’s Head of Engineering, Dan Bigham, tells Cyclingnews that it’s actually been in force for a little while. "The rules are now explicit in that it’s only a radio down the front," he explained.

Visma-Lease a Bike's head of performance equipment, Jenco Drost, concurred.

"Since last year, they're quite sharp on items under your suit."

Despite this, images from the recent Tour de Suisse – which show a few different riders with ice packs in their jerseys – suggest the rule is yet to be enforced as consistently as the UCI might like.

"It was shared in the Tour de France equipment meeting," Drost continued, "but with this weather, riders try to keep it as long as possible."

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Another heatwave is forecast in Western Europe in the coming days, with the upcoming Tour de France set to be affected as temperatures rise.

France's Minister of the Interior, Laurent Nunez, has announced a set of guidelines for prefects (representatives in each department of France) around the country to enact in case of a weather 'red alert'.

L'Equipe reports that prefects will be able to take measures, including the potential cancellation of stages, if the temperature rises to dangerous levels.

"As an exceptional measure and in consultation with the organiser and all stakeholders, you may decide to cancel a stage when health or operational conditions no longer allow us to simultaneously ensure the safety of spectators, mobilised personnel and the continuity of the response to emergencies for the population," read a message from the Ministry of the Interior to the prefects.

During the race, Tour de France organiser ASO will provide hourly weather monitoring, while plans to safeguard fans along the route include broadcasting public safety messages, distributing water, fans, and hats, adding more shaded areas and setting up misting systems.

As far as the riders in the Tour peloton are concerned, the UCI's High Temperature Protocol could come into effect if the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) rises to dangerous levels at or above the red high-risk zone of 28°C. Actions can include adapting start times, neutralising sections of stages, and even race cancellations.

Less drastic measures set to be put into place during hot stages include the extension of time cuts on stages and increasing the number of motos supplying water in the race.

Recently, national federations around Western Europe took measures to protect riders during various National Championships, and with another heatwave forecast, the same may well be seen at the Tour.

President of the French Cyclists' Union (UNCP), Pascal Chanteur, recently told Bici.Pro that races during the summer, such as the Tour, should be raced in the morning to avoid the hottest hours of the day.

"The time has come. to sit down and work together to move up the schedule," he said.

"The races should start at 9:00 a.m. and finish at 2:30 p.m., and television would still benefit, because at that time people are at home and there would be a lot of spectators.

"I'm convinced it's a matter of common sense. Why should we cyclists be forced to race in 45-degree heat?"

Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme told L'Equipe that ASO are in "constant contact" with the Minister of the Interior to keep tabs on the situation. He also outlined the measures being taken to protect people during the Tour.

"We are in constant contact with the Ministry of the Interior; just yesterday (Thursday) we were speaking with the Prime Minister's chief of staff," he said.

"And this entire system is planned in the same way every year. A prefect can always make decisions of this kind for the good of the population. It's all common sense. For the riders, we apply the UCI protocol.

"For the public, on France Télévisions, on Radio France, on ICI's local stations, at the start and finish of stages, and along the Tour route, we regularly broadcast common-sense messages about the heat. This year again, the caravan will distribute 2,500,000 hats or caps, 550,000 cans of water, and 400,000 litres of water.”

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For over 120 years, the Tour de France has been held in July, with winners from Maurice Garin to Tadej Pogačar triumphing at cycling's biggest race in the height of the summer.

But will things always be this way? Or will rising temperatures caused by climate change one day provoke a shake-up in the professional cycling calendar?

The question has been asked about cycling's other Grand Tours – the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España – before. The Italian race is sometimes forced to skip high-mountain tests as heavy snow lingers deeper into May, while racing through Spain in late August poses obvious heat-related challenges.

The Tour de Frances Femmes, which runs in early August, the hottest time of the year in the country, is another race that will surely be affected by the rising heat, too.

This year, the same questions have been posed of the men's Tour as Europe faces a record-breaking heatwave just a week before the Grand Départ in Barcelona. Much of Western Europe has dealt with air temperatures of 35°C (95°F), while highs of 43°C (109°F) have hit parts of France and Spain.

On Monday, French newspaper Le Parisien raised the question, referring to a scientific study titled 'The future of European outdoor summer sports through the lens of 50 years of the Tour de France', published by a collective of experts based in France, Spain, the UK, and Italy in the journal Scientific Reports in February.

The study stated that, given the increased frequency of heatwaves, "it seems only a question of time as to when the race will encounter the extreme heat stress days that will test the existing heat safety protocols," citing Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) – a measure of environmental heat which takes humidity, air movement, and heat radiation, along with the standard air measurement temperature, into account.

A WBGT reading above 28°C (82°F) stands out as high risk, and so the study looked back over 50 years of July data around France. The focus was on key cities including Paris, Nîmes, Bordeaux, and Toulouse (and a secondary focus on six others), as well as the famous mountains of Alpe d'Huez and the Col du Tourmalet.

The study found that the highest mid-afternoon WBGT occurrences in each location "since 1974 have all been recorded post 2018", while all four cities have passed the high-risk mark in recent years.

"Excluding the two mountainous locations, each of the above-mentioned WBGT records would fall well in the high-risk category according to the UCI's [High Temperature] Protocol," the study noted.

"The WBGT trends over the entire Metropolitan France are positive, demonstrating an increase in afternoon heat stress values in July over the 50-year period."

Fortunately, a high-risk WBGT event has yet to occur concurrently with a Tour de France stage. But with air temperatures and the WBGT trending upwards over time, it looks like it's a matter of time before that eventually comes to pass.

The High Temperature Protocol and its consequences

What could happen when that mark is eventually passed during a race?

Cycling's governing body, the UCI, has taken steps in the past to assist with the challenges of the weather. The well-publicised Extreme Weather Protocol was introduced in 2015, while the lesser-known and less often-utilised High Temperature Protocol was adopted in 2023.

The High Temperature Protocol assesses risk in line with various WBGT ranges, with a WBGT between 23°C and 27.9°C in the orange zone of moderate high risk, and anything above 28°C in the red high-risk zone (other sporting federations, including football's FIFA and tennis' ITF, define high-risk zones above 32°C).

Once the protocol is invoked, various race stakeholders, including the commissaires, race director and doctor, and team and rider representatives, would meet to discuss the next steps in line with the UCI's risk zones.

Suggested countermeasures for the orange zone include adapting race start times, adding shading and motorbikes with drinks and ice socks. Red zone countermeasures include adapting start times, neutralising sections of stages, and even race cancellations.

At the time of writing, none of cycling's biggest races has been neutralised or cancelled in line with these measures, though more and more races are being affected by the heat.

Earlier this month, the Canadian Gravel National Championships were cancelled due to safety concerns as air temperatures hit 34°C, while in Europe, several national federations have made extra accommodations due to the ongoing heatwave.

Back in January, a combination of temperatures hitting the 40s and bushfire risks caused the cancellation of both Surf Coast Classic races and the alteration of a stage of the Tour Down Under.

Four years ago, stage 15 of the Tour saw riders racing to Carcassonne in air temperatures exceeding 40°C as the UCI enacted the Extreme Weather Protocol, allowing riders to take on drinks until 10km from the finish and extending the time cut as race organisers ASO sprayed water across select portions of the road.

"I would say other sports would be cancelled if it's that warm, but I think mostly in cycling we learn if something bad happens, which is very unfortunate," Bob Jungels told Cyclingnews at the time.

The Scientific Reports study notes that the lack of neutralisations and cancellations at the Tour due to the heat is "apparently by chance."

"It is interesting that the Tour de France race dates have thus far managed to avoid the worst of the July heat stress," reads the paper's conclusion alongside recommendations to keep developing and re-evaluating cycling's heat protocols.

"However, given that the route and the race dates have to be planned months in advance, while reliable weather forecasts are available maximum 14 days beforehand this outcome is apparently by chance.

"Accordingly, it is critical that both organisers and participants (and to a lesser extent, the spectators) remain vigilant and prepared. In the absence of detailed daily weather forecasts several months before the event, awareness of the locations with a history of dangerous heat stress occurrences, as well as emerging ones, is of key importance."

Measures to beat the heat

So could the Tour de France be moved, then? Shifting the race, or any other long-established major race, for that matter, seems unlikely in the near future.

In recent years, races have managed to avoid running in air temperatures and WBGT which stray into the high-risk category as defined by the UCI and the Scientific Reports study, so there's no present danger of shifting the Tour to May, let's say.

There could be scope to shift stage times around, given that riders race during a point of the day when the highest temperatures occur. This seems the most likely outcome in the near future, with races shifting away from the mid-afternoon heat and further into the morning.

"In July in France, morning hours are the safest part of the day," notes the study. "While high heat stress can persist during most of the afternoon, planning the race for the morning hours and avoiding the afternoons could substantially increase rider and spectator safety."

In the meantime, the Tour is also taking other measures to beat the heat. Speaking to Le Dauphiné Libéré recently, race director Christian Prudhomme said that he and route designer Thierry Gouvenou have sought out shaded areas more than they had in the past.

"Our approach to designing certain routes," he stated, when asked if the race has a solution for the rising temperatures.

"The Col du Haag [on stage 14 – Ed.], which is one of the new features for 2026, is entirely under the trees. Five or six years ago, when we were designing a route, we thought it had to be in the open for television coverage and for the public.

"Today, on the contrary, we look for climbs in the undergrowth whenever possible. But obviously, we will never remove places like the Galibier or the Tourmalet from the Tour de France."

At the Vuelta a España, which this year, in a rare move, will be run entirely in Spain's southern regions, among the hottest in the country, race director Javier Guillén has taken a different stance.

"The heat cannot prevent us from going to certain areas. It's part of the competition, and we must adapt to those conditions," Guillén told Marca last week.

"Furthermore, we have protocols in place for extreme situations. They are planned for cases of extreme temperatures. We are prepared and will assess each situation as it arises."

The Tour de France, and La Vuelta for that matter, will remain in the afternoon for now, then, and there's no talk yet of inverting cycling's calendar to avoid the summer months. But with record-breaking temperatures and extreme heatwaves becoming ever more common across Europe, that may not always be the case.

The world’s biggest bike race deserves world-class coverage. Subscribe to Cyclingnews for unlimited access to our unrivalled reporting of the 2026 Tour de France. From Barcelona through to Paris, our experienced team will bring you breaking news, expert insight, and in-depth coverage from every stage as the battle for the yellow jersey plays out. Plus, access the Cyclingnews app to follow the action on the go! Find out more.

The use of rider power data as a form of anti-doping is likely to be a hot topic at next month's Tour de France, after the International Testing Agency (ITA) revealed details of a two-year feasibility and pilot study exploring whether power data could be a supplementary source of intelligence for anti-doping purposes.

Using rider power data, like how biological samples are used to create the Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) has been discussed for several years but critics have often cited a lack of accuracy and concerns about privacy.

However, the ITA has revealed that 60 riders have consented to participate in the trial project, including riders from Visma-Lease a Bike, Picnic PostNL, Jayco AlUla, Decathlon CGM CMA and Cofidis. Others are said to be in advanced discussions continuing with the ITA.

The research is being carried out in collaboration with the University of Kent and University College London. The ITA was founded by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as an independent non-profit foundation to carry out a multi-sport approach to anti-doping, taking it out of the hands of individual governing bodies.

Depending on how the trial project goes, using power data could eventually be part of the fight against doping in pro cycling and even other sports such as triathlon.

However, there has been considerable pushback against power data analysis from some part of the sport. Tadej Pogačar's agent Alex Carera described it as 'stupid' and an extra burden on athletes. Earlier this year, he told The Athletic that measuring any evolution in performance was not needed because "we do not have a doping problem."

Adam Hansen, the president of the CPA riders’ unions also has concerns about using power data as an anti-doping tool, with different stakeholders in the sport at loggerheads about who owns and controls rider data.

“I highly believe it won’t be successful. And then it will be scrapped. But we will see how it goes," Hansen told Road.cc.

“At first they said it’s just a test. I said, 'OK, that’s fine. But what happens when it’s not a test? What happens when a rider does not submit his training data? What happens if his SRM or Garmin is flat? What happens if his power meter does not work?

“While this is voluntary at the moment, I’m really worried when it becomes mandatory.”

However, the ITA claimed it has the support of the UCI, who is funding the research from revenue that is partly paid by riders, teams and race organisers.

"If validated by the ITA and approved by both the UCI Funding Committee and the UCI Management Committee, the UCI regulations will be amended to require the mandatory sharing to the ITA of individual power data for all professional men’s road riders," the ITA said as it detailed the testing.

It also said that "The study is being conducted with riders participating on a voluntary basis and in full compliance with applicable data protection regulations."

ITA said the research includes two incremental phases over two years after first revealing the idea in 2025.

"The first year focuses on retrospective analysis using historical rider data to determine whether a meaningful and sufficiently reliable longitudinal monitoring approach can be developed.

"If the feasibility phase demonstrates that the modelling principles are scientifically and operationally robust, the project would progress into a pilot implementation phase using current season data.

"Its purpose is not to establish anti-doping rule violations through performance data, but to evaluate whether certain patterns or evolutions in performance may, in the future, help inform areas such as targeted testing strategies, sample retention decisions, additional laboratory analysis or investigations."

The ITA could use power data to look for what it calls “excess performances” compared to their peers and across their careers, much like the Athlete Biological Passport does for blood values.

“We are constantly looking at how to make the cycling anti-doping program smarter and more effective," said ITA Director General Benjamin Cohen.

“Power data has been part of the conversation in cycling for many years. It is one of the sport’s most widely used performance tools, yet until now its potential contribution to anti-doping has remained largely unexplored.

"Thanks to the commitment of riders, teams and recognised experts, we now have the opportunity to assess its potential through a structured scientific process and determine whether it can meaningfully complement the anti-doping toolbox in the future."

The world’s biggest bike race deserves world-class coverage. Subscribe to Cyclingnews for unlimited access to our unrivalled reporting of the 2026 Tour de France. From Barcelona through to Paris, our experienced team will bring you breaking news, expert insight, and in-depth coverage from every stage as the battle for the yellow jersey plays out. Plus, access the Cyclingnews app to follow the action on the go! Find out more.

"Secrets are poison. They suck the life out of you." Tyler Hamilton.

"I viewed this situation as one big lie that I repeated a lot of times." Lance Armstrong.

"This place has been my home. They liked me here. Not anymore. Now they will look the other way. Now I don't belong." David Millar.

Is doping worth it? To live everyday looking over your shoulder? To enhance performance but diminish character? Cheating equals high anxiety and, of course, little sympathy. The stress-free solution? Don't dope. It's simple. Or is it?

These days, the advanced anti-doping and testing system means athletes face 'strict liability' for every single substance they consume, vigilance so high that they can't even buy vitamin C at a pharmacy, and surveillance that requires them to provide their location at a specific time every single day.

Is adhering to an anti-doping system that monitors you every day of the year, where you're guilty until proven innocent, in need of reform for athlete sanity? Cyclingnews investigated the system, the rules, and the mental impact they have on riders who are just trying to stay clean, and prove it.

The contamination issue

Michael Woods enjoyed a stellar 13-year professional career, primarily for Cannondale (now EF Education-EasyPost) and Israel-PremierTech (now NSN Cycling Team). He won four Grand Tour stages – one at the Tour de France, three at the Vuelta a España– and the prestigious one-day race, Milan-Torino. Woods retired from the WorldTour at the end of 2025 but, like many modern-day pros, he soon swapped road for gravel. When we caught up, he'd just 'won' the Canadian gravel national championships. Possibly. Extreme heat led to the event being cancelled while riders were still out on the course, meaning Woods' result was in doubt. Unlike his stance on cheats.

"I'll start off by saying that dopers ruin the sport for all of us," he says. "I'm all for clean sport and forged a career from clean sport. But the anti-doping system, while a necessary burden, is a massive burden. It's a huge stress. During my entire career, I guarantee that I never intentionally took a performance-enhancing substance. But I couldn't guarantee that I wouldn't have tested positive for one."

That's not an admission of guilt or Machiavellian Armstrong wordplay – "I've been tested 500 times and I've never failed a drug test" – but an honest appraisal of a system that can end careers if an athlete's urine or blood sample shows traces of one of more than 400 prohibited substances.

According to WADA's (World Anti-Doping Agency) Athletes' Anti-Doping Rights Act, 'strict liability' means that the athlete is solely responsible for any "any banned substance you use, attempt to use or is found in your system, regardless of how it got there or whether there was any intention to cheat". In anti-doping, not knowing isn't an excuse. You must live pure in an impure world.

"Unless you live on a farm, isolated from the rest of the world, growing your own food and ensuring no-one touches it, can you guarantee that something isn't contaminated?" says Woods. "Whenever I took a drugs test, that played on my mind. It's stressful and it's the same throughout the peloton.

"One of the biggest stressors is that you're guilty unless you can prove your innocence. And even if you prove how you ended up consuming contaminated food, by virtue of how the media handles the story and how the sport deals with you, you're tainted. I have friends who tested positive but discovered the source of contamination and were exonerated. But the damage to their finances and reputations was irreparable.

"They're especially damning in Canada. I'm proud of the fact that our country is vehemently for anti-doping, but it means any positive test results in you being crucified. Arguably, this goes back to Ben Johnson and what happened in South Korea. We were burnt and embarrassed on an international scale."

For our younger readers, the muscular Johnson won the 100m men's race at the 1988 Seoul Olympics in a new world record, before ignominiously leaving the Games and being stripped of gold after testing positive for the steroid stanozolol. It was arguably the biggest story in Olympic history. A piece of graffiti in the Olympic village encapsulated the drama: "Hero to zero in 9.79 secs."

Hormone-fuelled food system

Johnson confessed to doping. Many banned athletes don't, blaming their positive test on contamination. In the monochrome world of doping, it's seen as a convenient excuse. But the evidence suggests many grey areas.

Take the steroid trenbolone, used in the American food industry to boost the efficiency and yield of meat production. It's legal in the USA. But trenbolone is on WADA's prohibited list. Maximum residue figures are set for how much trenbolone commonly remains in a slaughtered animal from farm to fork for anti-doping purposes. Several assumptions are made that impact these residue figures, including point of administration. Trenbolone is mixed into a compressed pellet and injected into the back of the cattle's ear. The steroid then dissolves into the bloodstream. After around 200 days, the animals are 'harvested', whereby the ears are removed to prevent potential contamination.

If the farmer follows standard practice and an athlete records an anti-doping violation, the contaminated meat excuse is flimsy. But not, many a defendant has argued, if the pellet was misplaced and entered muscles from which rib-eye and loin steaks are cut. Or oxtail. That was the defence of runner Erriyon Knighton, who tested positive for trenbolone in March 2024. An independent arbitrator initially cleared him after accepting that contaminated meat likely caused the result, allowing him to compete at the Paris Olympics where the American finished fourth in the 200m. However, the Court of Arbitration for Sport later ruled the contamination evidence was insufficient and imposed a four-year ban. Knighton continues to protest his innocence.

Clenbuterol is another WADA-prohibited substance used to increase meat yields, albeit it's banned around the world because residues are high enough to cause health issues. Despite that, there's a huge black market in many Latin American and South-east Asian countries.

Alberto Contador was handed a two-year ban and stripped of his 2010 Tour de France victory after testing positive for clenbuterol. The Spaniard's contamination defence – that it was down to eating meat brought across the border from Spain to Pau on the rest day – didn't hold up because the illegal clenbuterol farming practices are rare in Spain, despite Contador passing a lie detector test.

(As an aside, for my new book Dope I interviewed Morten Hostrup, associate professor of physiology at the University of Copenhagen, who'd recently undertaken human studies on clenbuterol. Hostrup told me it's great for muscle building but actually impairs endurance performance because it 'suppresses mitochondrial function' in the muscle. "It's one reason why the current regulations would have accepted Contador's explanation," he told me. "He wouldn't have been suspended.")

In short, contamination is a very real stressor for professional athletes. "I raced the Vuelta a Mexico [which last took place in 2015 but is scheduled for a return in 2027] and the Tour of Qinghai Lake in China and basically you eat rice and eggs," says Woods. "You have to be hyper-vigilant and it's an extra stressor."

Supplementary pressures

It's the same with supplements. According to a 2025 survey by Sport Integrity Australia, one in three sport supplements – around 35 per cent of 200 samples – bought online contained at least one substance prohibited by WADA. Why is down to two reasons: accidental (the equipment wasn't cleaned thoroughly) and intentional (the manufacturer purposely added a prohibited performance-enhancer to crank up its effectiveness and have the athlete coming back for more).

WADA recommends athletes take supplements that are third-party tested. These products will feature the testing company's respective logos, and include NSF Certified for Sport, Informed Choice and Informed Sport.

"You couldn't take anything not approved by the team," says Woods. "It makes sense, but if you're feeling under the weather and want to buy vitamin C, you can't go to the pharmacy and be an adult. You have to report to mom and dad and ask if it's OK. It's for the right reasons, but it becomes crazy. You lose any autonomy and it's something you're constantly thinking about."

"When I first started competing, I was proud of making sure I was doing everything right," Woods adds. "Come the end of my road career, I'd been on some form of anti-doping programme for nearly 15 years. After all that time, you start to think, ‘Fuck this. I am so over it!'"

Or I'm not just over this, but I'm over life, in the case of former British cyclist Lizzy Banks, whose contamination case left her battling suicidal thoughts. In July 2023, Banks tested positive for traces of the banned diuretic chlortalidone. April 2024, UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) cleared Banks, accepting that contamination likely stemmed from a tablet she took for asthma. June 2024, WADA appealed her case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, ruling that she'd failed to prove the source of the contamination despite overwhelming scientific and contextual evidence and so banned her for two years.

"This case demonstrates the high bar set by the application of the 'strict liability' principle," UKAD pronounced, "and the challenges in identifying and establishing unintentional violations."

The 'will they, won't they?' sanction left Banks in turmoil.

"I'm not sure yet whether I regret having carried on the fight," she wrote at the time. "I'm so empty right now that I barely know what I feel anymore. But this is what they do to people like me. They crush us. They expect that we will just walk away and they will never have any consequences. But there must be consequences."

Banks proposed a series of anti-doping changes to protect athlete welfare including easing the burden of proof – that athletes shouldn't be required to provide the exact source of contamination when strong scientific evidence shows the substance level is incompatible with intentional use. She sees the current system as creating prolonged uncertainty and psychological harm.

Whereabouts is the welfare?

As do a dozen professional tennis players, including Nick Kyrgios, who in January 2025 filed a legal case against tennis federations and the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) for a complete disregard of athlete well-being when enforcing anti-doping policing.

The case came off the back of doping allegations against the men's world number one, Jannik Sinner, who twice tested positive for the banned steroid clostebol. WADA accepted the Italian's story that he didn't cheat and exposure came via his fitness coach's massage cream. Both parties agreed to a three-month ban that some felt conveniently expired before the second Major of the year, the French Open. The civil class-action cited his preferential treatment due to potential financial implications and access to superior legal representation.

A team of academics – including Alex Smith, senior researcher at Bern University in Switzerland – examined the complaint in a paper entitled, 'Coercive compliance? Anti-doping systems in tennis and athlete mental health.' It's a fascinating read and draws attention to the need for fairness when enforcing anti-doping policy.

"The focus of most anti-doping bodies remains firmly on detection and deterrence, which is understandable, but the inadvertent psychological implications of compliance sits largely outside that frame," co-author Smith tells us. "Research has documented what some call ‘clean anxiety' among athletes, which is a persistent fear of inadvertent rule violations and the reputational damage that would follow.

"For younger athletes who are still developing, that could be particularly problematic. They're trying to establish themselves in elite sport, managing uncertain incomes, unpredictable travel, sometimes young families, and on top of all that they carry this background fear of making an administrative error that carries the same punishment as failing a drugs test."

For administrative error, read the Whereabouts system. This is a requirement in any sport signed up to the WADA Code and allows anti-doping authorities to conduct unannounced drug tests on athletes between 6am and 11pm (and, in some cases like targeted testing, also between 11pm and 6am) on any day of the year. Athletes must update their ADAMS (Anti-Doping Administration Management System) to give a specific 60-minute time slot each day when they guarantee they'll be available for testing. You can update it any time before that 60-minute time slot begins. If you miss three tests within a 12-month period, you're banned.

"Athletes have described the constant need to remain organised, available and compliant, particularly during periods of travel, family commitments, illness or other major life stressors," says Smith. "The concern is often less about being monitored and more about the possibility of making an administrative mistake that could carry significant professional consequences. In that respect, the psychological burden may be less visible than other stressors in elite sport, but it does remain present in the background of athletes' lives."

Smith stresses that the integrity of anti-doping testing is vitally important and out-of-competition testing is an effective tool. "However, athletes are required to disclose their whereabouts around the clock, submit to surprise testing and provide highly sensitive health data, including biometric identifiers and medical information," he says. "Nowhere else in a democratic society would we accept that level of surveillance as a condition of employment."

That's the academic viewpoint. What about the athletic one? "Of course, out-of-competition testing and monitoring is important," says Woods. "Dick Pound [former president of WADA] had a great saying that if you fail in competition, you've failed two tests: the doping control test and the IQ test!

"So, things like the Whereabouts system are useful but I'd actually have preferred a tracking device, especially in the off-season when you're looking to switch off from cycling mode. That's when your plans tend to change. You might head to your mate's for a couple of drinks and the last thing you're thinking of is logging into your phone to change the address on ADAMS. You then awake the next morning and panic that if the doping officer visited, you've messed up.

"Thankfully, I was pretty diligent and only had one out-of-competition miss, which I contested because the tester made fundamental errors and it was removed. The area – Andorra, where I was living – was unfamiliar to them and they went to the wrong building. But it was stressful."

Woods says he has friends who missed three tests in the 12-month period but fought the last one and won. "And I know others who missed three and were banned."

Nighttime testing

Between Whereabouts and in-competition testing, riders have to be available for testing every day of the year, but the extent of that availability was tested at this year's Tour de France when the two top-ranked riders, Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard, both faced tests in the middle of the night.

In theory, in-competition testing should only happen between the hours of 6am and 11pm, and the UCI rules state that out-of-hours testing will only be carried out based on "serious and specific suspicion."

"The UCI may require any Rider over whom it has Testing authority, who has not retired, including Riders serving a period of Ineligibility, to provide a Sample at any time and at any place," article 5.2 reads, before going on to outline the limits of 'at any time and at any place.'

"Unless the rider has identified a sixty minute testing window between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., or has otherwise consented to testing during that period, the UCI will not test a rider during that period unless it has a serious and specific suspicion that the Rider may be engaged in doping."

It is the International Testing Authority (ITA) that actually carries out the testing, on behalf of the UCI, and UCI rules state that "Any testing during the Event Period outside the Event Venues shall be coordinated with the UCI", suggesting the governing body approved the nighttime tests of cycling's two major Grand Tour stars.

In a statement released during the Tour, the ITA did not reference any "serious and specific suspicion" in their justification for the nighttime tests.

"The ITA is conscious that night-time testing may be disruptive to riders' rest and recovery. Due consideration has therefore been given to minimise as much as possible the impact testing activities have on riders," the statement read.

"However, the ITA, on behalf of the UCI, has the responsibility to ensure the effectiveness of the cycling anti-doping program and the integrity of cycling races. As such, effective testing must, in limited and justified circumstances, be capable to occur outside standard daytime hours.

"All testing activities conducted at the Tour de France and at any other international events, including decisions as to the specific timing of such tests, are carried out in accordance with the ITA’s testing strategy and subject to the safeguards established under the World Anti-Doping Code, the UCI Anti-Doping Rules and French law, with due consideration for riders’ welfare, equity and fundamental rights."

But despite the ITA's assertion that due care was taken, the riders involved, and indeed their riders, had mixed views about what happened. Given how much time and information riders give up to testers between Whereabouts and in-competition testing – especially the race leader, who is tested every day – there was criticism about disrupting their sleep - the night before a big stage - for further testing.

Tadej Pogačar said that the 2am wake up may have contributed to the crash that took Vingegaard out of the race only a few hours later, but added: "It's a little bit strange, but I accept it if this is necessary to prove that we are riding clean, then I totally accept it. I commit to it."

Remco Evenepoel was less diplomatic, saying: "It's pretty disrespectful. To be honest, if I had it, I would send my team to wake them up to feel how it is. It's something inhuman, it's something that we should not accept as athletes."

The flipside of the argument, however, is that if riders and teams know there are certain hours where they won't be tested, or expect not to be tested, they could be employing microdosing techniques or using substances with short half-lives to avoid positive tests, and the ITA's nighttime visits seek to make that more difficult.

Punished for neurology

Further pressure arises from the therapeutic usage exemption (TUE) system, which allows prohibited substances to be used for medical reasons. It's supposed to be performance-enabling rather than enhancing, though is perceived to be widely abused.

"The burden arises from the additional documentation and evidentiary requirements imposed by the anti-doping framework," says Smith. "For conditions such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), it's a challenge. Many cyclists take medication for ADHD, which is on the prohibited list, but the process of sorting a TUE is extremely involved. That's not great for a disorder associated with forgetfulness and disorganisation. You're almost punishing someone for having the disorder, which means many might not bother taking the medication to avoid form-filling. If you're in the middle of a peloton and you've got a disorder that's linked to hyperactivity and impulsivity, that has clear implications for you and your fellow riders."

"That's me," says Woods. "I've never been officially diagnosed but I was almost held back a grade and repeatedly told I had 'attention issues'. If I was younger, I'm confident I'd have been diagnosed with ADHD at school. Keeping on top of these forms and apps is a real issue and can kill careers. Miss tests and teams won't sign you. Sponsors won't sponsor you. You can't race."

Smith says British Cycling has delivered TUE courses specifically aimed at riders with ADHD, but suggests all levels of elite athletes should be better supported, as they can face considerable costs simply to demonstrate eligibility for a treatment that's medically needed. More broadly, he says that greater focus must centre on the daily strain of adhering to anti-doping policy.

"The argument is always that athletes consent to it, but that consent is functionally coerced," he says. "An athlete who refuses compliance faces immediate exclusion from international competition. The balance shifts when you build genuine welfare support into the framework. Right now, the obligations are clearly defined and the consequences of failure are clearly defined, but the psychological support available to athletes navigating that system remains largely absent. We believe that you can uphold rigorous testing and provide mental health resources."

"We'd suggest introducing mandatory welfare assessments as part of the anti-doping relationship as standard practice for any athlete in a registered testing pool," Smith continues. "Right now, the system is entirely focussed on compliance. There's no touchpoint where anyone asks how an athlete is actually doing. A welfare check-in, delivered through the existing infrastructure, would catch athletes who are struggling before they reach crisis point, and it would send a signal that anti-doping organisations view athletes as people with lives and health needs rather than just samples to be collected."

This humanising of the anti-doping system is picked up on by those dozen tennis players, who contested the ITIA policy of "requiring players selected for drug testing to shower under direct observation if they choose to wash before providing a sample".

Woods echoes the indignity. "I've had testers come straight after my morning coffee. Let's just say I'm regular after that first caffeine hit. The chaperone can't take their eyes off you once you've opened the door, so I've had times when I've taken a shit staring eyeball to eyeball with a tester. I get it because there are cases in the past of athletes passing off clean samples by using a prosthetic penis. But you don't want it, the tester certainly doesn't want it. I must admit, you do sit there thinking fuck the dopers."

Anti-doping remains essential. Few athletes and researchers would argue otherwise. Yet as sport pursues cheats with ever greater vigilance, it must also consider the cost borne by those playing by the rules. For every doper trying to evade detection, thousands of clean athletes are navigating surveillance, suspicion and the fear of inadvertent error. Protecting sport's integrity matters. Protecting the well-being of the people who uphold it matters, too.

The Tour de France green jersey is reportedly getting a revamp this year, with the points system reallocated in what could be read as an attempt to stop the imperious Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) from challenging for that jersey too.

The official Tour rules and regulations for 2026 have not yet been published widely, but have been provided to the teams, and Belgian outlet Sporza reported on Friday that the new system will make more points available on stages designated 'Flat' and therefore likely to finish in a bunch sprint.

In previous years, flat stages awarded 50 points for the winner at the finish line, whilst climbing stages awarded 30, so the points classification has always been weighted towards sprinters and is seen as a competition for them.

However, last year Pogačar came dangerously close to winning the green jersey – he has already won the yellow, polka dot and white jerseys – wearing it mid-race after winning atop the Mûr-de-Bretagne and then breathing down sprinter Jonathan Milan's (Lidl-Trek) neck in the final week.

In the end, Milan just about held on to the green jersey, but Pogačar finished second in the classification, only 78 down on Milan. GC rider Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) also finished fourth in the classification, further exemplifying the possible flaws in the system.

And this was all without Pogačar particularly trying, either – the yellow jersey did not chase down stage wins in the final week, suffering from knee pain, nor did he target intermediate sprints. If he had, he was close enough to challenge for green.

Perhaps in response, ASO appear to have further categorised the stages for the 2026 race, with expected sprint stages now carrying a maximum of 70 points for the winner, 50 for second and 40 for third – which is double what third place earned last year.

My view

Stages 5, 7, 8, 11, 12, 17 and 21 are all classified as 'Flat' in the Tour de France route this year, despite the addition of the Montmartre climbs in the final stage, which should mean that it is more likely for sprinters to rack up more points than the GC riders in the green jersey standings.

It is not yet clear if the Tour is creating a third classification for sprint points, and whether some stages will still carry 50 points at the finish, perhaps punchy stages, or if all other stages will still have only 30 points available at the line.

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Rider union the CPA Women has called for a "substantial review" of the UCI's road race safety initiative, SafeR, after an incident in the final kilometres of stage 2 of the Tour de Suisse Women that saw Urška Žigart (AG Insurance-Soudal) break her jaw.

Several riders crashed going over a bump in the road within the final kilometre of Thursday's stage, facing the uneven road surface at high speed. Žigart went down the hardest, suffering a fractured jaw and an overnight stay in hospital.

SafeR, a multi-stakeholder project set up in 2023, is dedicated to making road cycling safer through various initiatives, one of which includes SafeR representatives working with race organisers to review courses for safety and analyse any race incidents.

Potentially dangerous course features, such as road furniture or uneven surfaces near finishes, especially those where riders are travelling at high speed, are the types of things SafeR try to work with organiers to identify and avoid.

The CPA is UCI-affiliated – unlike other women's union, The Cyclists' Alliance – which means its men's and women's managing directors, Adam Hansen and Alessandra Cappellotto, sit on SafeR's various committees.

However, the project has been under fire recently after the controversial UCI vs SRAM legal case – which the UCI used SafeR funds to pay for – and this week, CPA Women managing director Cappellotto was the latest figure to raise criticisms over SafeR.

"Following the serious accident that occurred yesterday in the final kilometre of Stage 2 of the Tour de Suisse Women, CPA Women, representing the riders, calls for a substantial review of the current SafeR operating model," she said in a statement

Currently, SafeR operates three main committees which all feature representatives from race organisers, teams, riders and the UCI.

The Supervisory Board meets quarterly to "take strategic and budgetary decisions", the Commission meets monthly to "advise on matters such as regulations, equipment and education" and the weekly Case Management Committee "review[s] race incidents, anticipate issues on upcoming races and conduct safety audits of teams and races", according to the UCI website.

However, Cappellotto questions whether this process is working in light of recent incidents.

"From the very beginning, CPA and CPA Women have strongly believed in the SafeR project. We have invested time, energy and resources in its development, participating actively and constructively in its work. We have always considered SafeR an essential tool to address the challenges of modern professional cycling and to respond to the expectations of riders, teams, organisers, governing bodies, sponsors and fans," she said.

"The progress achieved in recent years should be recognised. However, serious incidents continue to occur, and it is our responsibility to ask whether the current system is providing all the answers that our sport requires."

Whilst the UCI has regularly updated on SafeR's work with statistics about incidents and their causes, and new – not always well-received – recommendations for rule changes and regulations, they are yet to publish any data demonstrating a reduction in crashes or accidents since the project's beginning.

SafeR has recommended a host of regulations, some of which have worked or been received better than others, from the yellow card system to handlebar width restrictions and the contentious gear ratio limit test, which was ultimately blocked and led to a court case between the UCI and SRAM.

Three years into the project, the CPA Women is calling for a shake-up of the system and processes to improve their work, and avoid incidents like the crash in Switzerland this week.

"Cycling must not be afraid of change. Together with the UCI, AIOCC, AIGCP and all stakeholders involved in professional cycling, we have developed considerable knowledge and expertise. We believe the time has come to review and strengthen the way SafeR operates, ensuring that it has the tools, structure and authority necessary to identify risks more effectively and to prevent incidents before they happen," Cappolleto said.

"The riders remain fully committed to contributing constructively to this process. Safety is a shared responsibility, and continuous improvement must remain at the heart of our collective efforts. Our common objective is clear: to make professional cycling safer while preserving the integrity, credibility and future of our sport."

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The jury handed out nearly 10,000 CHF worth of fines on Tuesday at the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes as three sports directors were penalised heavily for lateness at the start of the team time trial.

Mathew Hayman (Jayco AlUla) and Benoit Genauzeau (TotalEnergies) were fined 3,500 CHF each on Tuesday for failing to present their team's bikes for inspection at least 15 minutes before their TTT start time, whilst Lotto Intermarché's Mario Aerts earned a 3,000 CHF penalty for the same offense, just committed by fewer riders.

UCI rule 2.5.009 outlines that for TTTs "riders of each team shall present themselves with their equipment at the bike check area no later than 15 minutes before their team scheduled start time. This check is mandatory and must be passed before the rider is allowed to start. After this final check, riders must remain within the controlled area, composed of the bike check, warm-up and waiting areas, until their start."

Failure to do so will result in a fine of 500 CHF per rider, per rule 2.12.007-9.2, which is why Tuesday's fines were so large – Jayco and TotalEnergies were fined for lateness of all seven riders, whilst Lotto only started with six.

In an individual time trial, the riders are fined directly, but in a TTT, the total fine falls on the head of the lead DS who is responsible for getting their riders to the start on time.

As a result, the jury racked up a total of 9,500 CHF in fines on Tuesday, approximately €10,300 or $11,900.

No other fines were handed out on stage 3, with only minor penalties given out on stages 1 and 2 for more minor infringements, making the TTT by far the most expensive day for teams so far.

This isn't the first time we have seen big financial penalties handed out at a TTT. At last year's Vuelta Femenina, Movistar were fined 1,600 CHF for arriving to the bike check late. The fine per rider is only 200 CHF in a Women's WorldTour event, compared to 500 CHF in men's WorldTour races.

Generally, fines will be deducted from a team's total prize money pot at the end of a race rather than paid directly, but a penalty of over 3,000 CHF will make a much bigger dent in any winnings than normal.

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The UCI confirmed a number of minor safety and bike technology improvements after the recent Management Committee. Some people quickly dismissed them as too little and too late but Brent Copeland, who sits on the SafeR Supervisory Board, has defended the work of the structure dedicated to race and rider safety in professional cycling.

Copland is also the Jayco AlUla team manager and the President of the AIGCP teams association. He spends time in SafeR meetings and represents the teams in discussions with the UCI and the other stakeholders.

The UCI announced the extension of the yellow cards punishment process for dangerous riding and other offenses in races. Race safety signalisation will also be harmonised, while the UCI have ruled that finish straights, especially when races are likely to end in sprinter finishes, have to be "as long as possible, at least 200 metres."

"Unfortunately people do not see all the work SafeR does, instead it just gets continuous criticism," Copeland said.

"There is a lot that's happening in the background. There's a lot of energy, there's a lot of meetings happening where people are discussing motorbike slipstreams, airbags, concussion detection devices on helmets. All of those things are all works in progress, which when they're ready, we'll be able to roll them out."

Copeland highlighted the limits in technology for the delay in implementing some safety improvements. The tragic death of Muriel Furrer during the 2024 UCI Road World Championships in Zurich understandably sparked calls for accurate rider tracking.

The current systems use mobile phone data but are not always reliable.

"When you take a deep dive into the technology of it, it's pretty complicated," Copland said of rider tracking.

"For example, at the moment on Veloviewer, you can see a red or green light; if a ride is moving it's green, if they stop it's red. But did the rider stop for a natural cause or because they had an accident?

"We'd like to get to the point that the technology also detects the angle of the bike, but the problem is technology. The satellite systems that are similar to TV signals work well but are very expensive and not yet really in place."

The SafeR Case Management Committee meets on Monday afternoons to analyse race incidents, gather data and suggest improvements.

"Until you're in those meetings, no one really understands the challenges that everyone's facing. All stakeholders and all families in the sport are trying to improve things," Copeland said.

"You need data collection in order to make improvements and now we have that. Like in everything in life, everyone's going to have their own point of view. If you have data, you can get to the facts and make confirmed decisions."

Copeland was in Milan for the Giro d'Italia stage finish, when confusion arose about road safety decisions and some riders suggested the breakaway had benefited from television motorbike's slipstream.

Copeland suggested SafeR could carry out an analysis of rider data from the race to confirm or deny any slipstreaming.

He hopes for less squabbling and more unity between everyone in the sport.

"Everyone's got a responsibility to ease the tension about safety and the frequent accusations that emerge," Copeland told Cyclingnews.

"The teams are putting too much pressure on the riders to get ranking points, riders then want better contracts and there's also less respect between riders. They've got to start to respect each other more, they must discuss things with each other more.

"Organizers are often to blame regarding race safety and certain improvements need to be made. We've all got to look at ourselves in the mirror and make improvements together."

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Along with appealing the Belgian courts' decision in the SRAM/maximum gear restriction case, the UCI announced that it will limit the size of bike computers allowed during professional races and prohibit the use of inside front jersey pockets as new safety measures.

The governing body announced an update to rule 1.3.006 bis covering onboard technology, adding a size limit of 126mm x 71 mm for bike computers starting on January 1, 2028.

Cycling computers have evolved from simple speed, time and distance measurements to more sophisticated devices with GPS tracking and maps, and screens to capture physiological data from sensors such as heart rate monitors.

The UCI rule allows for computers to show heart rate, body temperature and sweat rate, but bans glucose and lactate monitoring. Now, the federation has taken a further step to keep riders from being overwhelmed by data during a race by limiting the size of their onboard devices.

"This decision was taken in light of the impact of on-board technologies on the cognitive load experienced by riders," the UCI stated in its press release. "Several studies have shown that the increasing volume of data available to riders during competition can contribute to an increased cognitive workload, a key factor in the occurrence of accidents.

"Limiting the size of bike computers is intended to prevent an excessive increase in the amount of data available during races, which could significantly compromise rider safety."

Perhaps learning from its expensive legal battle with SRAM, the UCI gives manufacturers a lead time of more than a year to make sure the best bike computer offerings are compliant with the new dimensions.

Currently, the Garmin Edge 1050 is the largest, measuring 118mm x 60 mm, well within the UCI's proposed limit. Other popular models, such as the Wahoo ELEMNT ROAM and Hammerhead Karoo, all come in under the size limits.

"Members of the UCI Management Committee also emphasised the importance of engaging with the relevant stakeholders to gain a better understanding of how riders interact with the various data streams available to them during competition," they stated.

"To ensure that sanctions are proportionate, new penalties have been introduced into the respective tables of sanctions, specifically targeting bike accessories and other accessories worn by riders. These new provisions include fines and sporting penalties. The primary objective of this modification is to strengthen its deterrent effect and ensure a more systematic application of consistent sanctions."

Front pocket no-no

The press release also announced a new rule would come into place on July 1, 2026 to prohibit riders from using inside front jersey pockets.

The UCI rule 1.3.032 already bans 'non-essential elements' that 'modify the morphology of the rider' to get aerodynamic gains, but riders have tucked their race radios in the front of their jerseys without being sanctioned.

During the Unbound Gravel, some riders were seen using hydration bladders in the front of their jerseys, which offers an aerodynamic advantage. The UCI rules on clothing only apply to road, track, cyclo-cross and mountain bike races.

The rules date back to 2011 when Frank Schleck wore a hydration pack down the front of his jersey during a race and faced an investigation by the UCI before the federation banned the practice.

In 2021, the British team's use of the front of their skinsuits to store radios raised some concerns that it fell afoul of the rules, but that practice may still be allowed.

The new addition comes, according to the press release, because the UCI "observed that several riders were wearing jerseys featuring front internal pockets containing nutritional products that were generally not consumed because they were extremely difficult - or even impossible in race conditions - to access".

"These pockets result in significant alterations to the riders' body shape. This trend follows the recent publication of studies demonstrating the aerodynamic advantage provided by this practice.

"Given the established link between aerodynamic gains, increased speed and the severity of accidents, and considering that the practice also raises issues of sporting fairness, the UCI has decided that jersey pockets must be located exclusively on the rear of the garment. Consequently, from 1 July 2026, any pocket positioned on the front of a jersey will be prohibited, with the exception of a possible pocket intended solely to hold a radio communication device."

Cycling's governing body is doubling down on its insistence that gear ratios are the answer to safety in professional cycling. Following the meeting of the UCI Management Committee, the federation issued a press release on Friday, noting its intent to appeal a Belgian court's decision to block the UCI's gear restriction test.

"Recommended by SafeR, the maximum gear ratio test was intended to gather riders' views on the relevance of introducing gear ratio limitations in professional road cycling as a means of improving safety," the UCI stated in its press release.

"In light of the Brussels Court of Appeal's decision, and concerned by both the very low threshold applied by the BCA for imposing interim measures and the limited scope of the Court of Appeal's review in the appeal proceedings, the Management Committee confirmed the UCI's intention to lodge an appeal before the Belgian Court of Cassation [Belgium's Supreme Court -ed]."

Safety has been at the forefront of the UCI's agenda for the past five years, and a spate of record speeds in races like Paris-Roubaix led the federation to introduce a Maximum Gear Ratio Standard that was to be tested during the 2025 season.

The limit would rule out any gear ratios exceeding the equivalent of a 54-tooth chainring and 10-tooth cog, which would propel a rider 10.46 metres per pedal stroke.

However, SRAM pushed back against the rules, which would have forced them to mechanically disable its 10-tooth cog. SRAM is the only manufacturer of cassettes with 10-tooth cogs, and is disproportionately affected by the proposed UCI limits.

SRAM argued that there is no evidence that higher gear ratios correlate with an increased risk of crashing. Speeds are dependent not just on gear ratios, but on crank length, pedal revolutions per minute and tyre width/wheel size.

The company claimed in their suit that the rules cause them reputational damage and potential civil liability, loss of retailer and OEM support, erosion of global market share, and 'up to a decade of reinvestment to recover'.

"Although the UCI refers to the Maximum Gearing Protocol as a 'test', its implementation has already caused tangible harm," the company said in a statement last September. "SRAM's gearing has been publicly labelled as non-compliant, creating reputational damage, market confusion, team and athlete anxiety, and potential legal exposure."

In October, 2025, the Belgian Competition Authority (BCA) sided with SRAM and blocked the UCI's plan for a gear restriction test at the Tour of Guangxi. Following a lengthy exchange of writs, a public hearing was held in April where the Brussels Markets Court upheld the BCA's decision. The case was finalised on May 21, with the UCI being ordered to pay nominal fees to the BCA, among others.

The UCI has already set aside €300,000 from the safety initiative SafeR's budget to fight the case, despite several SRAM-sponsored teams being obliged to contribute to the SafeR budget.

Following the finish of stage 1 of the Giro d'Italia Women, after Lorena Wiebes had sprinted to victory and subsequently collected the race leader's jersey, the UCI issued a shock ruling to disqualify her from the race.

The reason, according to the UCI, was a "breach of article 2.12.007 – 2.2: use of a bicycle not in compliance with the regulations, specifically failing to meet the minimum weight requirements."

In plain English, she'd been banned because her bike was lighter than the UCI's minimum mandated weight limit for bikes, by - as it was later claimed by the team - just 20 grams.

The ruling is extremely rare. There is no high-profile case of a similar infraction since the rule came into force in the year 2000. The most recent we know of is Fabiana Luperini, disqualified from the Giro Rosa in 2013 after finishing 4th on stage 6.

Since Wiebes' ejection from the race, her SD Worx-Protime team has threatened legal action against the UCI, the rule itself has been dubbed outdated, blame has been passed around, and the accuracy of the UCI's bike-weighing process has been called into dispute.

This has led to countless questions, so here we're going to try to break it down and answer them. If you have more, simply drop them into the comments below, and we'll do our best to answer those too.

What is the minimum weight rule?

The UCI minimum bike weight rule is included in the UCI technical regulations under Article 1.3.019, which states; “The weight of the bicycle cannot be less than 6.8 kilograms.”

This includes the frame and all fixed components, with the exception of “items that may be removed during the event”. That means that accessories like bottles or bike computers do not count and are removed for weighing, but bottle cages and computer mounts do.

Why do we have a minimum weight rule?

The UCI 6.8kg weight rule’s roots stretch back to the UCI Lugano Charter which was signed in 1996. The minimum weight rule was then enforced officially from the year 2000.

The Lugano Charter put a limit on things like experimental, aerodynamic frame design, bringing many progressive designs to a halt almost overnight and placed an emphasis on athleticism, not technological advantages.

Four years later, the minimum weight limit arrived, putting a limit on the perceived technological explosion of the time as materials like carbon fibre became more common. Bikes were also becoming lighter, and it was seen as a way to prevent components or frames from being made dangerously light, which would have put riders at risk.

Twenty six years later, the minimum weight figure remains the same, and the 6.8kg rule is one of the most consistently debated UCI rulings in cycling.

Why do some riders have to make their bikes heavier?

At times, a rider’s stock team bike simply ends up being under the 6.8kg minimum weight limit. A small frame size, or particularly light wheels could contribute to this, as well as just an overall build comprised of lightweight parts.

In years gone by, team mechanics would add weight to bikes to bring them up to the limit. Bikes being under 6.8kg is certainly nothing new. For instance, in 2003 Team Saeco and Cannondale launched a ‘legalize my Cannondale’ marketing campaign after the brand’s Six13 road bike with rim brakes and tubular aluminum wheels came in under the limit.

In later years, bike brands ‘made weight’ by making frames and parts more aerodynamic, a more effective method than simply just adding brass weights to a frame.

For a while, disc brake technology and aero bikes made things heavier again, but in 2026, some pro race bikes are comfortably down at the UCI weight limit, even with disc brakes, aerodynamic frames, wheels and parts.

How does the UCI weigh the bikes?

The UCI’s official weighing protocol, and any calibration of its equipment, is unclear at this stage. The UCI’s technical regulations show an image of a bike being hung from a scale, which itself is mounted to a solid scaffold, but nothing further is to be gleaned.

According to Bikeradar, the UCI commissaires use a Kern CH 15K20 weighing scales to assess the legality of competitors' machines, backed up by the product description: “Also essential in the private sector to determine the weight of fish, game, fruits, bicycle parts, suitcases etc.”

This is similar in form to the Park Tool options you’ve probably seen in use almost ubiquitously, and requires the scales to be hung from a solid structure, with the bike hooked onto it below. Interrogation of the Kern website shows that the scales have a ‘reproducibility’ (read: accuracy) of 0.02kg, which is the amount SD Worx-Protime are alleging the bike was out of spec by. It also states a ‘linearity’ (the ability of the scale to read accuracy across its entire range) of 0.04kg.

From our experience of similar scales, the results can vary quite considerably if there is any motion or instability introduced to the suspended bicycle.

Cyclingnews has asked the UCI for detailed information surrounding the protocol and procedure for testing and enforcing its rule, but has yet to receive a response.

How heavy was Wiebes bike?

This, we do not know exactly. The UCI has not stated the weight it was measured at, or how much it failed by – just that it failed. According to the SD Worx-Protime team, it fell short by 20 grams, which would mean it weighed 6.78kg. However, this has not been verified, and one source has indicated to Cyclingnews that the bike weighed significantly lighter than that.

The complicating factor is the suggestion that the bike gave different readings every time it was weighed. The team have themselves stated there was “a weight difference of more than 50 grams between the first and second weighing of Wiebes’ bicycle”, which would indicate the bike came in around the 6.73kg mark on one test. Team manager Erwin Janssen has claimed to Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf that the team later weighed the bike in their team truck at the race and found a reading of 6.83kg.

So how many times was it weighed?

This isn’t clear. Janssen said it was tested twice by the UCI behind the podium, adding that the team’s proposals for a third test were denied – “the jury members were initially willing to go along with that, but they were ultimately called back by higher authorities”.

Team director Danny Stam separately said that the bike was weighed 26 times, presumably referring to the team’s own tests in their team truck, but he added of the UCI’s testing: “It kept fluctuating. One moment it was 6.75, then it was 6.78, but eventually they made the decision.”

How can those discrepancies be explained?

Firstly, it’s worth noting that those discrepancies are only claimed by SD Worx-Protime; the UCI has not given any figures or responded to those claims. There is potential for external factors to influence the readings of a weight measurement. Janssen has said “there was a strong wind” inside the tent in which the bike was being weighed, but took the legal 6.83kg reading in the “wind-free” team truck.

Wind could certainly appear to affect the reading if downward force is being exerted on the bike. The other suggestion from Janssen is that the testing jig was not calibrated properly: “The weighing equipment must be recalibrated if it has been at altitude. In our opinion, that has not happened.”

The UCI declined to comment on this allegation.

Could a change in Wiebes’ set-up be to blame?

One potentially important factor is that Wiebes decided to run a single front chainring for the opening stage of the Giro, as opposed to the standard double chainring set-up she’d use for hillier days.

Swapping from a 2x set-up to a 1x set-up does more than simply lose the weight of a redundant chainring. Aero chainrings, solid as they are, usually weigh more than their spidery counterparts, but swapping can result in an expected loss in the region of 200g dependant slightly on whether the rear cassette is enlarged in range to account for the loss of range at the front – helped by ditching the front derailleur, its mounting hardware and battery.

Effectively, if Wiebes’ bike was on the cusp of the limit before the gearing swap, and nothing was done to ameliorate the situation by way of adding mass elsewhere, this could well have tipped her bike into illegal territory. Wiebes' agent looked to dismiss this suggestion, stating: "Lorena has ridden with a single chainring on this bike before."

What difference does it make?

If we are indeed talking about 20 or so grams, then hardly any, especially on a flat stage where the weight of a bike has far less of an impact on speed than when climbing steep gradients. When you factor in that Wiebes won by a country mile, any slight shortcoming in weight would not make any difference to the sporting result in this case.

However, if you are going to have a rule then you have to draw a line somewhere in the sand and you are going to have to enforce it strictly otherwise subjectivity and grey areas emerge.

What has Wiebes said about this?

Nothing, so far. The Dutchwoman has not been interviewed on the matter and has not directly addressed it on social media. Her agent has said "she was a complete mess" and has gone away in her camper van for a few days, but he added: "Knowing her, she will only come out of this stronger."

How have her team reacted?

SD Worx-Protime have not held back.

In a statement, they described themselves as “astonished” by the disqualification, and threatened to take legal action against the UCI. Separately, team boss Erwin Janssen and team director Danny Stam have given interviews in the Dutch media in which they have questioned the veracity of the UCI’s readings – see above – and doubled down on the threat of legal action.

“They will receive a letter stating that we are going to hold them liable for damages suffered,” Janssen told De Telegraaf. “We have been in the peloton for 15 years, have been a top team for twelve years now, so we really do know what we are doing,” he added. "We have won a lot, and we are also good sportsmen when it comes to losing, but this does not sit well.”

What happens next?

Wiebes is out of the Giro, and there’s no going back. The most pressing question is whether SD Worx-Protime follow through on their threats of legal action.

If they do take it to court, the UCI faces another serious test of its authority. Only two weeks ago it suffered a humiliating defeat as SRAM successfully and definitively blocked its gear restrictions protocol via the Belgian Competition Authority, and upheld by the Market Court in Brussels.

Whereas that was a test of its ability to introduce new regulation, this would be a test of its ability to apply its existing rulebook. This specific case risks being one word against another but if SD Worx think they can indeed poke holes in the reliability and credibility of the UCI’s weight testing procedure as a whole, then the governing body has a potential headache. The team and the rider could in theory sue for lost earnings and reputational harm from the Giro specifically, but any such case could have far wider ramifications in terms of the governing body’s ability to govern.

The other thing to note is that this affair will - and indeed already has - reignite the debate surrounding the wisdom of the 6.8kg rule. It has already seen more than its fair share of criticism, notably in its pertinence in women’s cycling, and this incident will surely push that back up the agenda and strengthen calls for reform of the rule.

Our tech team will have some analysis and insight on that front later in the week, so watch this space.

Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) used his influence as the overall leader to request that race officials enforce a GC-times neutralisation on the last lap of a four-lap final circuit, citing collective concerns among the riders about the rough road surfaces on stage 15 of the Giro d'Italia on Sunday.

Speaking about rider safety in a post-race press conference, he emphasised the importance of all stakeholders in the sport working together to keep the peloton safe.

"I would have done it anyway, even without the pink jersey, but with the pink jersey, it has more power, in some way," Vingegaard said.

"I think during the race and when we hit the laps, we realised it probably is not the most safe course. We were speaking in the bunch. And I don't think you could actually see it on television, normally you cannot see how it is."

Vingegaard did not want to reveal who in the peloton discussed the conditions of the circuits, but instead said he took full responsibility as the rider who approached the officials' vehicles during the race to discuss the neutralisation.

"I will take responsibility for going to the car, but also, we speak within the bunch, and we take care of each other. I think that is something we showed today, for once, we banded together a bit, and the organisation was meeting us somewhere, which was really nice today."

Stage 15 closed out the second week of racing at the Giro d'Italia with a 157km race from Voghera to Milan. The route included four 15km finishing circuits held on narrow city streets and rougher road surfaces.

"We went to the jury and organization," Vingegaard explained. "We talked with them. They were really friendly with us, listened to what we had to say, and I think we as riders should thank them today for meeting us somewhere."

Safety in professional cycling has been a major discussion point over the years, but when asked why the riders hadn't looked at the course in the months leading up to the race and expressed their concerns in advance, Vingegaard said, he felt the responsibility of rider safety rests with the UCI, race organisers, rider associations and the athletes themselves.

"I don't think it's our responsibility as riders. I think it's more the responsibility of the UCI and the organisation to make routes. We have our CPA group. It should be a mix of everyone," he said.

"I think that safety in cycling is in everyone's interest. Not only in the riders but in the UCI. We can't just point fingers at each other; everyone has a responsibility, and obviously, we as riders ourselves."

The time of the general classification was therefore taken at the start of the last lap of the race. A four-rider breakaway narrowly succeeded at the finish line with Fredrik Dversnes Lavik (Uno-X Mobility) taking the victory ahead of Mirco Maestri (Team Polti VisitMalta), Martin Marcellusi (Bardiani CSF 7 Saber), and Mattia Bais (Team Polti VisitMalta).

Paul Magnier (Soudal-QuickStep) won the bunch sprint for fifth place, crossing the line 57 seconds later.

Despite the neutralisation, Vingegaard said that racing onto the city streets of Milan wearing the maglia rosa for the first time in his career was a special moment.

"Obviously, it's been a dream coming true for me. Today, riding into Milano, it was special to ride in the pink jersey. As I said yesterday, it is one of the most special jerseys in cycling, so to have that going into such a big city is something special for me," he said.

The peloton will take a much-deserved rest day on Monday before kicking off the final week of racing, which includes a back-to-back grand climbing finale on stage 19 at Alleghe (Piani di Pezzè) and stage 20 at Piancavallo.

"I felt pretty good today. I was having a good day out there. It was very warm again today, but we managed to get through the day well."

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When the sprinters and their lead-out trains failed to catch the breakaway in the streets of Milan, there was a sense of defeat, disappointment and suspicion. Only stage winner Fredrik Dversnes (Uno-X Mobility) was happy in the hot streets of central Milan on Sunday.

Dylan Groenewegen (Unibet Rose Rockets) admitted defeat and sportingly admitted that the breakaway riders were just stronger. Others were less praising, convinced there was another reason that the peloton was unable to catch the break after a stage raced at a new record average speed of 51.391 km/h.

Lidl-Trek's Max Walscheid was the first to go public with suggestions that the four attackers had benefited from the television motorbike that rode ahead of them. Other riders repeated the accusations, even though they had been in the peloton during the stage rather than watching on television.

The doubts were based due to the high pace and that the breakaway held off the chase made up of several sprint teams.

"What went wrong is difficult to say for the moment. Every sprinter used all their teammates to chase it back, but we never caught them, it was surprising," Paul Magnier (Soudal-QuickStep) said, choosing his words carefully, after winning the bunch sprint but only for fifth place.

Magnier did not want to make specific accusations.

"I want to take my time to analyse the race and see how we lost," he said.

Lukáš Kubiš of Unibet Rose Rockets was more praising of the riders who stayed away and stole the show from the sprinters.

"It was a big effort from the breakaway boys. It was just hard to bring it back, We didn't manage it, so it is what it is," he said.

"It's just cycling, and it's also the good part of cycling."

Dversnes remained proud of his victory and refuted any accusations that the breakaways benefited from the television motorbike slipstream,

"The only motorbikes in the race were the guys in the breakaway," he told Cyclingnews and FloBikes post stage.

"I didn't believe in our chances from the start. It was a hopeless plan to start with, but it got better and better along the way. If you have strong enough guys, it's very, very favourable to be ahead of the bunch on the city circuits.

"The guys who said that motorpacing was involved also know that it is a known thing in the sport," Dversnes continued in the press conference.

"Since it was not in their favour, they will of course complain about it."

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Organisers of the Giro d'Italia have opted to neutralize the lap stage 15 for GC purposes after riders including Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) protested in-race over dangerous conditions in the centre of Milan.

With around 40 kilometres to go, the decision was made public on television that the last five kilometres of the course would not count for GC purposes and everybody's overall would be taken at that point. The sprint battle, the second last of the 2026 Giro would go ahead.

Stage 15 of the Giro d'Italia took the race deep into the centre of Milan, ending with four final 16.3 kilometre laps of the city. At the time the decision the race was made, a four rider break of non-GC threats was around 2 minutes, with interest in chasing them down varying wildly.

The neutralisation would be increased to the whole of the final lap, thus allowing those who did not want to participate in the stage win battle.

Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Italian Giulio Ciccone, a former leader of the race, were amongst those dropping back to the commissaires and saying the mixture of road furniture was too risky. Ben O'Connor (Jayco-AlUla) was another reportedly involved in the in-race protest.

The Giro d'Italia was hit by a massive crash on stage 1 of the race in Burgas, but at least up to 30 kilometres to go, there had been no major fallers on stage 15.

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The UCI’s defeat in not one but two Belgian courts represents a significant success for component manufacturer SRAM, which is celebrating not just the legal victory but also the wider implications as it pushes for more industry involvement in UCI decision-making.

On Wednesday, SRAM’s October victory over the UCI at the Belgian Competition Authority was upheld by the Market Court in Brussels, which rejected the UCI’s appeal against the BCA ruling that had put a halt to its gear restriction protocol.

That protocol, designed with a view to improving rider safety by reducing speeds, was based on a maximum gear ratio equivalent to a 54T at the front and 11T at the rear, whereas SRAM’s top-tier road groupset comes with a 10-tooth smallest cog. SRAM argued that the proposed trials ‘exclusively and unfairly’ impacted SRAM, both in terms of the teams and riders it supplies, as well as the reputational and financial damage linked to the possible perception of its groupsets as unsafe.

“This case began as a dispute about our 10-tooth cog. Today's ruling is much bigger than that,” said SRAM's CEO, Ken Lousberg, in a statement sent to Cyclingnews.

“The Brussels Court of Appeal has issued a groundbreaking ruling on how sports federations across Europe must exercise regulatory power. The Court upheld the Belgian Competition Authority's previous findings that open, transparent, objective, and non-discriminatory governance is the legal standard for rule-making in sport.

“It endorsed that reasoning in full, applying well-established European Court of Justice case law in a way that will guide federation governance well beyond this case, and sharply rebuking the UCI's appeal.”

The UCI has not responded to requests for comment on the latest ruling.

The 'disc brake fiasco' and industry exclusion

To understand the broader point SRAM is trying to make, there is some interesting reading buried in the Market Court’s 50-page ruling document.

In excerpts of internal minutes from a meeting with the UCI in April 2025, SRAM representatives noted: “They [UCI] seemed motivated by the disc brake fiasco a few years ago in order to exclude the industry from what they consider as the stakeholder groups.” [Editor's note: this has been translated from French as it appears in the ruling document, which notes that it was 'freely translated' from the original English'.]

Disc brakes were first introduced to the pro road peloton in 2017, with the adoption of the technology controversial at first, but now ubiquitous.

The proposed gear restriction tests stemmed from the work of SafeR, a safety group set up in 2024 comprising the UCI, and the associations of riders, teams, and race organisers. SRAM argued that both it and other equipment manufacturers were not adequately consulted on the protocol – arguments that were supported in both court rulings.

“For SRAM, our legal action was always about how the stakeholders of this sport work together to improve every part of it, including rider safety, in a clear, transparent, and fair way,” said Lousberg. “What comes next is the work this sport has needed for a long time: building that process together, with the common goal of improving our sport.”

Lousberg then pointed to the potential role of the World Federation of the Sporting Goods Industry (WFSGI), which already had an influence in this case, having written a long letter to the UCI expressing concerns over the gear restriction protocol on behalf of a ‘unified industry’.

“The WFSGI, as the neutral voice of the cycling industry, is the natural partner in that work alongside the teams, athletes, race organisers, and the UCI,” Lousberg said.

“The door is now open, and there should be a seat for everyone willing to help build the future the sport deserves through collaboration, not exclusion. The first step is straightforward: the UCI should bring the WFSGI into rule-making as a full partner and start this reform now. SRAM is excited to get to work.”

The UCI has been defeated in its efforts to introduce gear restrictions in the pro peloton, with its appeal against the Belgian Competition Authority (BCA) – which had upheld a legal complaint from SRAM – thrown out in court.

According to multiple sources close to Cyclingnews, the Market Court in Brussels ruled on Wednesday in favour of the BCA, which in October had sided with component manufacturer SRAM and blocked the proposed trials surrounding what was officially known as the Maximum Gear Ratio Protocol.

The full court ruling document, later seen by Cyclingnews, states that the UCI's appeal was deemed "admissible, but unfounded".

It failed in all its arguments, which sought to pick holes in the procedural approach of the BCA as well as its very authority to act in this case. The UCI also argued that the contributions of several top-level SRAM-sponsored teams in the case were inadmissible, but failed on this count.

The UCI was ordered to pay €1,883.72 to the BCA and €400 to Belgium's Federal Public Service Finance body, as well as making a contribution to the country's legal aid fund.

The legal bill from the whole affair will be much higher – the UCI had ring-fenced €300,000 from the SafeR safety group to fight the case, which was controversial because SafeR includes the association of pro teams, some of which are sponsored by SRAM.

The decision effectively marks the end of the UCI's legal avenues to pursue its proposed gear restriction initiatives in their current guise, forcing it to go back to the drawing board and setting a precedent that could have a significant impact on the governing body's ability to impose equipment regulations in the future.

Cyclingnews has contacted both SRAM and the UCI for comment, and is awaiting response.

How we got here

The appeal centred around the UCI's plans to impose a gear restriction trial at the Tour of Guangxi in mid-October 2025. These restrictions limited riders to a maximum gear ratio equivalent to a 54T at the front and 11T at the rear.

However, because SRAM's top-tier road groupset, Red AXS, is specced with a cassette with a 10-tooth smallest cog, the American brand argued it unfairly penalised riders using its groupset, and by proxy of making its groupsets illegal, SRAM argued that it indirectly labelled its groupsets as unsafe.

On these grounds and others, it sought to block the trial via the Belgian Competition Authority, triggering an investigation by the anti-trust authority to "determine whether the adoption of the ‘Maximum Gearing’ technical standard by the UCI amounts to an anticompetitive decision".

On October 9th, six days before the race was set to begin, it succeeded. The trial was blocked.

"The standard, adopted under disputable conditions, is likely to cause harm to SRAM that is serious and difficult to repair, thereby justifying its suspension," the BCA said in a statement at the time.

"The BCA recognises the legitimacy and importance for a sports regulator such as the UCI to ensure the safety of athletes. However, the procedures for determining technical standards enacted for this purpose, as well as the related tests, must meet essential conditions of proportionality, objectivity, transparency and nondiscrimination in view of the economic consequences of these standards. They cannot result in an undue restriction of competition between sports equipment suppliers."

It marked a world first instance of a national competition authority blocking the moves of an international sports governing body, setting a precedent not just in cycling, but all sport.

The UCI immediately stated its intention to appeal the ruling, and In the months since, the UCI and the BCA had been arguing their cases via an exchange of writs – the formal legal process in which both sides submit their legal documents – including an initial 70-page appeal document from the UCI.

The affair has seen further controversy after Cyclingnews revealed that money from SafeR – an organisation of several cycling stakeholders, including the teams' association (AIGCP) – was being used to fund the appeal, creating the situation whereby SRAM-sponsored teams were effectively funding litigation against their own sponsor.

What now?

Fastforward back to today, and the Market Court in Brussels overseeing the case has ruled in favour of the BCA, throwing out the UCI's appeal.

The ruling means the UCI ultimately faces a legal obligation to reform its standard-setting process.

Future attempts at equipment trials, or even rule-making as a whole, could require the input from teams and the wider industry, such as the WFSGI (World Federation of the Sporting Goods Industry), which is a collection of experts from teams, brands, and governing bodies.

Exactly how this plays out is currently unknown, but it's definitely a case of 'watch this space' as it could be transformative to the way the UCI operates and regulates the sport.

Even before the finish of stage 6 of the Giro d'Italia in Naples, riders expressed concern about the design of the final kilometres. Rather than find a straight approach, the organisers chose a cobbled road with a 180-degree bend into the hilltop Piazza del Plebiscito.

As feared, a light rain began to fall just as the peloton approached the finish, and the combination of uneven cobbles and rain resulted in a mass crash.

"I don't want to say that it really looks super dangerous already. I mean, if it rains, of course, it's not going to be funny, but I think Napoli is always known as a tricky run into the city," Soudal-QuickStep rider Jasper Stuyven said one day before finishing second to XDS-Astana's Davide Ballerini n Naples.

Unibet Rose Rockets were in the lead at the 180-degree corner, leading out Dylan Groenewegen, when the Dutchman's final man, Elmar Reinders, hit a hole and slid out. Groenewegen fell at the same spot milliseconds later, setting off a chain-reaction crash.

"It was a bit slippery. We did an amazing job we crashed - it can happen in a sprint. It was really slippery, and that's what happens," Groenewegen said, adding that the fall has made his shoulder a bit stiff.

"We were in the right position again to go for victory but sometimes you have bad luck."

Behind them, a touch of brakes in reaction to the crash caused more riders to fall, including Tobias Lund Andresen, Orluis Aular, a rider from UAE Team Emirates-XRG and Astana's sprinter for the day, Matteo Malucelli.

Lead-out men Ballerini and Stuyven were the only ones who managed to avoid the wreck to finish one-two on the stage.

Four-time Giro stage winner Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek), a sprint favourite at this race, finished 107th after getting caught in the carnage. He was far from happy after the stage.

"It's just painful," Milan said of the incident, taking away another opportunity to gain points or win a stage. "It's even more painful to see riders crashing in front of you."

The Italian didn't mince his words when asked about the choice of roads for the finale.

"I really don't get why we have to try to find this complicated finish - I really don't get it," Milan told Eurosport.

"You know for sure, we could think that it would rain, and maybe to be safe, like some years ago, we could just go straight. But no, with two drops of water, we create a huge mess.

"Luckily, I didn't crash. I was able to stand on my bike, but they fully, completely crashed in front of me. I mean, it's not their fault. We know that it could be super slippery.

"I'm just a bit disappointed, because I was in a good position, having good shape, and feeling good. But yeah, we have to try to look for these things now for a bit of hype - I really don't get it."

The Italian now lies 66 points behind maglia ciclamino rival Paul Magnier (Soudal-QuickStep), who pulled off some amazing on-the-bike acrobatics to remain upright, even if he had to slam on the brakes. The French phenom still took third on the stage.

"I think I could have gotten a better result if not for that crash," Magnier said. "The whole team worked hard and Jasper put me in a perfect position, but sadly, it was impossible to avoid that pile-up. I was still able to sprint and take third, but there's some frustration after today's outcome.

"On the other hand, I'm happy with the fact I cemented my place at the top of the points classification."

Elsewhere, German sprinter Pascal Ackermann (Jayco-AlUla) added his voice to the chorus of disapproval, saying that the Giro organisers got what they wanted.

"It’s 70 to 30 that we won’t make it. We’ve all been wondering if this is really necessary. But the spectacle is back. You saw us crash," he told German Eurosport.

Aular, meanwhile, was pushed to the line by his teammate Ivan Garcia Cortina. He later told Eurosport he was OK.

"I wasn't badly hurt. It's a shame because we were in a good position. I tried to keep a bit of a gap. Then I wanted to try it. But the cobblestones didn't allow it. It was simply the braking on the wet pavement that caused the crash," Aular said.

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Two 19-year-old men are facing charges after attempting to push riders of the Giro d'Italia off their bikes on Thursday.

Corriere della Sera reported that the pair were identified and charged by police for endangering public safety during sporting events.

In professional cycling, fans are increasingly encouraged to respect the riders, but that memo did not reach the pair of spectators at the Giro d'Italia.

In extraordinary and alarming scenes, the two men looked like they were about to knock riders off their bikes at a roundabout near San Vitaliano. Thankfully there were no crashes.

The incident occurred on stage 6 of the 2026 Giro d'Italia, a 141km stage from Paestum to Naples. A group of young men were standing in a roundabout and, as the peloton approached, two of them began lunging at the riders.

One put his foot out toward them repeatedly, and even touched and pushed a Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe rider as he raced past.

Another rider attempted to strike back but did not deter one of the men, who continued to lunge toward the peloton.

The race organisation posted a video of the incident on X.com, writing, "Respect the riders. Respect the race. Respect the #GirodItalia".

The incident is likely to spark a reaction from the peloton, who have had to call for respect from roadside fans with increasing force in recent years.

There have been multiple incidents of fans getting too close over the years but spectators looking like they are actively about to assault riders is another matter.

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Brushes between the peloton and the animal kingdom are nothing new in professional cycling, which saw its latest episode at the Tour de Hongrie on Thursday as a deer skidded across the road right in front of the oncoming peloton.

The incident occurred in the early phases of stage 2, when a small deer ran into the road looking to cross to the other side.

It stumbled as it landed in the middle of the road and then skidded on its side into the path of the leading riders.

Remarkably, it skidded all the way to the side of the road before bouncing up onto its feet on the grassy verge and bounding away.

It could have been a different story were it not for the awareness and fast thinking of the riders on the front of the peloton.

The Soudal Quick-Step rider on the very front of the bunch – which looked to be Martin Svrcek – must have come a hair's breadth from hitting the deer, but he managed to grab two huge fistfuls of brake and avoid contact.

You can watch the incident in the video embedded below.

There have been many run-ins with animals in pro cycling races over the years. Earlier this season, there was a crash involving a kangaroo at the Tour Down Under, while at last year's Giro an Albanian goat jumped at a rider's wheel. Brushes with dogs are a relatively common occurrence.

Riders competing virtually on MyWhoosh will have to be ready to provide blood and urine samples, as the indoor cycling platform rolls out a first-of-its-kind anti-doping testing programme.

We’ve seen virtual riding platforms such as MyWhoosh and Zwift aim to crack down on 'robo-doping', where riders digitally manipulate their performance data, but this is a new regime to test riders for physically doping, based on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) Prohibited List of banned performance-enhancing substances.

The testing programme will apply to the MyWhoosh virtual events that offer significant prize money, most notably the Sunday Race Club, where weekly prize purses run into the tens of thousands of dollars. MyWhoosh indicated that "as prize-money events continue to grow" it’s becoming increasingly aware of the need to "ensure that competition results reflect genuine performance".

The testing programme, which is carried out by the International Doping Tests & Management (IDTM), comes into force on Sunday, May 10 and will see the first samples taken on Sunday, May 17.

"The introduction of anti-doping and integrity testing is about protecting fair competition and rider trust," said Matt Smithson, Director of Esports & Game Operations at MyWhoosh.

"As our Sunday Race Club grows, the standards around fairness must match the seriousness of the event. Our goal is to protect clean riders and ensure that our global community can trust in the integrity of every podium finish."

How will it actually work?

For relevant races, riders will be required to declare their exact physical location in advance of the event. If selected for testing, they must remain at their declared location for up to three hours after the race, during which the testers would come round to collect a sample.

A rider could be notified of an impeding test shortly before, during or immediately after the event.

Samples to be taken could include urine, a blood sample collected from a vein, or a dried blood spot sample taken from a finger-prick.

Selection for testing is at MyWhoosh’s discretion and could be both random and targeted. The platform says results, performance data, and even intelligence could help target the testing but that racers could equally be selected at random.

If a rider refuses to comply – either through refusal, evasion, or tampering – they would face "severe sanctions such as disqualification, prize money claw-backs, and suspension from the platform."

MyWhoosh did not state the sanctions for a positive test, but they would likely be the same as the above.

The challenges

One challenge would appear to be the spread-out nature of the competitors, who can race from home in any country in the world.

The IDTM, which is carrying out the sample collections on behalf of MyWhoosh, would need agents near enough to the selected rider to reach them within three hours of the conclusion of the race in question. Even WADA struggles with global reach with its out-of-competition testing strategy.

That ties into the cost of the operation, which is likely to be significant. MyWhoosh is already handing out significant prize money, and the bill is set to be footed by the fee-paying riders themselves, but it will be interesting to see how much the whole operation ends up costing.

Another challenge would be the legal basis for all this, and whether a racer could look to challenge the legality of a positive test, either through an appeals process or even in court.

Sanctions would only apply to the MyWhoosh platform, which is, in effect, its own governing body for this programme but has no jurisdiction beyond it, so racers banned from MyWhoosh would not face any restrictions in any other area of competitive cycling. And while this is low-level competition in the grand scheme of things, potential lost earnings and reputational damage could form the basis for legal challenges if a banned rider has the inclination and the cash, so MyWhoosh will need to make sure its system is water-tight from that perspective.

MyWhoosh says its anti-doping programme operates under the 'MyWhoosh Cycling E-sports Rules and Regulations', establishing "a 'private contractual and sporting integrity framework' that draws from recognised international standards, including the WADA Prohibited List."

The Cyclists' Alliance (TCA) have provided a response to the UCI's consultation request about the future of the sport.

In a letter to the UCI, the rider advocacy body expresses concern about the lack of progress, despite apparent improvements in women's racing.

"The UCI has stated that women’s cycling has experienced 'remarkable growth' in recent years," stated in the letter published on Monday. "However, as noted above, we are gravely concerned that this momentum has not led to a 'stronger structure for women’s professional cycling'.

"Despite outward signs of progress, the sport remains built on fragile foundations," the letter continues, quoting Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ), who talked of her fear "the WorldTour could implode at some point."

The TCA's letter to the UCI includes suggestions for radical changes to the funding structure, including revenue sharing and redistributing Women's WorldTour race days, such as rescheduling the Vuelta Femenina to follow the men's race in September.

The association also pointed to poor coverage of some races, suggesting more should be mandated by the UCI.

Safety is also a concern, the TCA making a number of suggestions, including a "rider-centred approach" to GPS tracking, the elimination of sharp turns inside the final 500m of races and reform of the yellow card system.

Also, the letter included suggestions for improvements around the instability in the lower levels of the sport, which it identified as a major concern, pointing out the loss of races and higher budgets causing teams to fold, both of which are eroding development pathways for riders.

"At a time when women’s cycling is experiencing increased visibility and momentum, The Cyclists’ Alliance emphasizes that long-term success depends on strengthening the sport’s underlying structures," their press release states.

“Our goal is to ensure that growth in women’s cycling is matched by a strong and sustainable foundation,” said TCA Interim Managing Director Deena Blacking.

“This submission represents the collective voice of riders and a shared vision for how the sport can continue to evolve."

The full letter runs to over 5,600 words and can be read on the organisation's website.

Noemi Rüegg (EF Education-Oatly), the winner of stage 1 and race leader of La Vuelta Femenina, has been forced to abandon the race after suffering a crash during the 109.8-kilometre stage 2 to San Cibrao das Viñas.

Rüegg appeared to touch wheels with another rider with 12km to go and careened into best young rider Eleonora Ciabocco (Picnic-PostNL).

Both riders crashed into a culvert and were quickly attended to by medics.

It was announced not long after that Rüegg had abandoned. On Tuesday morning, her EF Education-Oatly team announced that she had sustained a fractured right shoulder in the crash and will require surgery.

"Noemi suffered a fracture to her right shoulder in the crash that forced her to abandon the Vuelta. The fracture will require surgery. Join us in wishing our champ all the best on her recovery," the team announced.

Rüegg led the Vuelta after winning the stage 1 sprint in Salvaterra de Miño over Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-ProTime).

German Franziska Koch (FDJ United-SUEZ), who picked up a six-second time bonus at the intermediate sprint on Sunday, was second overall tied on time with Rüegg at the start of Monday's stage.

After finishing second in the stage 2 sprint, Koch assumed the race lead by six seconds ahead of stage winner Shari Bossuyt (AG Insurance-Soudal).

Ciabocco, 16th on stage 1, was in the best young rider's jersey on the same time as five other riders. The Italian finished the second stage in 62nd, 2:29 behind Bossuyt.

Lore De Schepper (AG Insurance-Soudal) moved into the white jersey after stage 2.

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Twenty-one-year-old North American racer Evan Boyle has accepted a 16-month sanction for committing three 'Whereabouts Failures' in the space of 12 months, United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) announced.

Boyle is best known for his top USPro National Championships results last year, which included a silver medal in the elite men's road race. He also scored a silver in the U23 time trial in 2023.

After riding the last two years with Hagens Berman Jayco devo squad, the rider from upstate New York had signed to race with Team Winston Salem-Flow but had not started his 2026 season. He had been listed to start for the US domestic elite team at Ronde de l'Isard in May.

According to the USADA statement on its website, Boyle was included in the USADA Registered Testing Pool, athletes who are subject to Whereabouts requirements, so they can remain located for out-of-competition testing.

"Within a 12-month period, Boyle accrued three Whereabouts Failures: the first on July 16, 2025, the second on August 16, 2025, and the third on October 2, 2025," the statement added.

"The accumulation of three Whereabouts Failures within a 12-month period constitutes a rule violation under the USADA Protocol for Olympic and Paralympic Movement Testing, the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee National Anti-Doping Policy, and the International Cycling Union Anti-Doping Rules, all of which have adopted the World Anti-Doping Code.

"The period of ineligibility for Whereabouts rule violations ranges from one year to two years, depending on the athlete’s degree of fault.

"In this case, USADA determined that a 16-month period of ineligibility was appropriate given the circumstances of the case."

The statement notes that Boyle's 16-month sanction began on December 8, 2025, when he was notified of his third Whereabouts Failure. He has been disqualified from all competitions as well as forfeiting medals, points and prizes from October 2, 2025, onwards.

Tadej Pogačar's victory celebrations were cut short at Liège-Bastogne-Liège on Sunday after the race jury handed him a hefty fine of 5000 CHF shortly after the podium presentation. The fine was outlined in the official race communique directly following the event on Sunday.

However, the fine was later removed with the World Champion's team, UAE Team Emirates-XRG, telling La Gazzetta dello Sport that it had been revoked.

The UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider initially was said to have violated Article 1.3.072.6: World Champion Equipment for the "wrong place of the publicity on the world champion jersey during the award ceremony," according to the official race communique.

The fine may have been in relation to the addition of a personal sponsor, watchmaker Richard Mille, to the sleeve of Pogačar's long-sleeve podium jersey.

However, the world champion has been wearing the jersey with this logo all year.

According to Sporza, the UCI previously prohibited additions to standard jerseys but have since relaxed their regulations. The UCI officials at Liège-Bastogne-Liège later acknowledged their error and the fine was removed.

There doesn't seem to be any provision in the UCI rules for sponsors on the wrist of a jersey, and the maximum fine (rule (1.3.072) for non-compliant advertising on jerseys is typically CHF 2,100.

Pogačar produced a masterclass performance to win Liège-Bastogne-Liège for the fourth time in his career, finally dropping worthy challenger Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM) on the Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons with 13.9km to go and riding solo to the finish.

The Frenchman hung on for second place while Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) won the chase-group sprint for third. The three riders celebrated their successes on the podium.

At the time the initial race communique noted the fine, it was unclear what the specific issue was with his jersey, as Pogačar had worn it on other podiums this year. The race jury and the UCI had offered no other explanation at the time of writing.

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The ITA has announced that Hungarian racer Bálint Makrai, who rides for ProTeam MBH Bank-CSB Telecom Fort, has returned an adverse analytical finding for the anabolic steroid Metandienone.

The 19-year-old returned the positive sample in an out-of-competition test on March 30, 2026, and has been provisionally suspended as a result.

Metandienone, known by its trade name Dianabol, is an anabolic steroid which, in the words of the ITA, "increases testosterone levels, causing muscle-mass growth, endurance and strength."

Makrai has raced with the Italo-Hungarian squad MBH Bank-CSB Telecom Fort as the team has grown from an amateur club setup to a Continental squad and, from this year, a ProTeam.

This year, he started the Tour de la Provence but didn't finish the first stage. He has also raced the .2 races, the UMAG Classic, Popolarissima, and the GP Slovenian Istria, the latter two won by MBH Bank racers Davide Persico and Nicolò Buratti.

Makrai hasn't raced since the GP Slovenian Istra on March 22. Eight days later, he returned the positive test.

"The rider has been informed of the case and has the right to request the analysis of the B-sample," the ITA stated.

"If the B-sample analysis is requested and confirms the result of the A-sample, the case will be considered as a confirmed anti-doping rule violation. If the B-sample analysis is not requested, the case will also go ahead as a confirmed anti-doping rule violation. The rider will have the opportunity to present his explanations for the result.

"Further, in accordance with the World Anti-Doping Code and Article 6.2.1 of the UCI Regulations for Results Management, a mandatory provisional suspension has been imposed on the rider. The rider has the right to challenge the provisional suspension and ask for its lifting."

A brief collision between a Lidl-Trek team car and EF Education-EasyPost rider Markel Beloki during stage 5 of Itzulia Basque Country has led to the expulsion of Kim Andersen, the sports director driving the vehicle, from the race.

The incident happened during stage 5, some 45 kilometres from the finish when Andersen's car was to the right of a stretched-out group of riders, including Beloki, 20th overall on GC, on a broad stretch of slight uphill

Beloki dropped back, his back wheel briefly grazing the left-hand bumper of the Lidl-Trek car - which had failed to notice the Basque rider's manoeuvre in time. Beloki then angrily waved one arm to remonstrate the car, but fortunately neither fell nor seemed injured by the incident.

As a result of the collision, commisaires later decreed that Andersen be expelled from Itzulia Basque Country, leaving the team bereft of one in-race car during the final stage. As well as the exclusion, Andersen also received a fine of 1,000 Swiss francs and a yellow card.

On stage 2 of the Itzulia Basque Country, the race doctor's car driver was also expelled from the race after his vehicle collided with Mikel Landa (Soudal-QuickStep) on the downhill from the Cat 1 San Miguel de Aralar climb. After falling heavily as a result of the crash, Landa could complete the stage, albeit considerably delayed. He did not fracture any bones, but with severe bruising and scratching, he opted not to start the next day's racing.

Beloki is currently 19th overall, having completed the stage over nine minutes down. With one day's racing remaining, Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM) continues in the overall lead.

New 'Elite Feed Zones' will be introduced this year at Unbound Gravel events and Leadville Trail 100 MTB, both owned by Life Time and anchor events of the Life Time Grand Prix series. Regulations for crew member and media access at these feed zones will also be implemented at both races.

For Leadville Trail 100 MTB in Colorado, access to Lost Canyon will be closed to public traffic on race day. Organisers will also implement a lottery for amateur access in this area, described as a 'narrow, high-impact' area that becomes congested for crews supporting riders.

"Age‑group racers remain a central priority of both Unbound Gravel and the Leadville Trail 100 MTB, with robust on‑course support, accessible checkpoints, and the same community‑driven energy that define each event," a press release by Life Time said.

"By introducing clearer structure and separation where speeds and dynamics differ most, Life Time aims to enhance safety and fairness while preserving the grit, camaraderie, and challenge that have made these races iconic for decades."

Called 'checkpoints' at Unbound and 'aid stations' at Leadville, these regulated feed zones are where athletes, amateurs and pros alike, can refuel and get mechanical support. They are open areas that have been shared by all competitors, so have been more chaotic rather restful as the athletes go faster.

Life Time listened to feedback from pro athletes, crews members, media and local partners to determine concerns and address solutions with these changes.

Unbound Gravel 200 has two checkpoints, and the second checkpoint is also shared with riders in the Unbound Gravel 100 event. For the pros in the 200-mile distance, there will now be separation at both checkpoints from age-group competitors in that race and the 100-mile race.

Leadville Trail 100 MTB has four aid stations, with Carter Summit, Outward Bound and Twin Lakes Dam serving outbound and inbound traffic on the two-way dirt route. All competitors pass Columbiine Mine once, as the turnaround point at the 52-mile mark. These will also have separate areas for pros and age-group riders.

"These zones will be tightly controlled to enhance safety, reduce congestion, and protect competitive integrity. Specific guidelines, including feeding from the right side only and no support from moving vehicles (bikes, motos, etc.), will be implemented," Life Time noted.

In the Elite Feed Zones, crew and media access will be limited to designated areas. This is to make the environment "safer and more predictable" for racers and non-racers aliike, and "improving course flow".

The operational details and updated course maps will be finalised as part of the official tech guides ahead of each race. Unbound Gravel 200, the second race in the Life Time Grand Prix, is scheduled for May 30 in Emporia, Kansas. Leadville Trail 100 MTB is the third stop of the series on August 15 in Leadville, Colorado.

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The UCI announced on Thursday that it has suspended New Zealand's Kiaan Watts (NSN Devo Team) from April 9, 2026, through May 2, 2026, following disciplinary proceedings.

The 24-year-old was competing in the 1.2-ranked Ster van Zwolle in the Netherlands when he was caught on video hitting Marijn Maas (BEAT CC p/b Saxo) at the front of the peloton with 33km to go. The race jury disqualified him for the incident, and his team pulled him out of his next race, the Dorpenomloop Rucphen.

"Video footage of the incident at the Dutch event on 7 March 2026 showed Kiaan Watts reaching towards another rider and delivering him a closed fist punch," the UCI announcement stated.

"The rider acknowledged the violation of article 12.4.009 of the UCI Regulations and accepted the sanction proposed by the UCI. Besides the sanctions imposed by the Commissaires’ Panel during the race (cf. the disqualification from the race, the payment of a fine of CHF 200 and the deduction of 25 UCI Points), Kiaan Watts will serve a period of suspension of 25 days, with the one-day suspension imposed on the rider by his team on 8 March 2026 being credited from the period of suspension."

"The UCI issues a reminder that, as holders of UCI licences and members of the cycling community, riders enjoy rights and assume responsibilities aimed at promoting the values of cycling and protecting the integrity of the sport. These rights and responsibilities are set out in the Riders’ Charter of Rights and Responsibilities. Respecting this Charter fosters an environment in which sportsmanship, fairness, and respect prevail."