Christian Prudhomme, the director of the Tour de France, has firmly rejected accusations of bias towards French riders while defending the night-time drug tests conducted during this year’s race. Speaking at the start of stage 18 in Voiron, Prudhomme emphasized that the testing practices of the International Testing Agency (ITA) do not favor any riders.

Prudhomme stated, “We fought to have an independent agency, and now we have one. I have no desire whatsoever to interfere with their work.” His remarks come after Matej Mohoric, a Slovenian professional from Bahrain Victorious, implied that Paul Seixas, a 19-year-old French rider, received preferential treatment by the ITA, highlighting that Seixas had not undergone a night-time test.

The ITA reiterated its independence from French anti-doping authorities, a point Prudhomme underscored by saying, “I find out about testing at exactly the same time as you do.” Both current race leader Tadej Pogacar and rival Jonas Vingegaard, who has abandoned the Tour, underwent tests at 5am and 2am respectively last Sunday, which the UCI described as an “exceptional measure.”

Prudhomme remarked, “The ITA is doing the job it’s paid to do,” and acknowledged the emotional responses from riders. He questioned whether similar controls would be implemented in other sports, asserting that cycling is now a leader in anti-doping efforts.

He defended Pogacar’s integrity, stating, “Pogacar is a rider who demonstrated exceptional talent from a very young age.” Prudhomme's commitment to maintaining rigorous anti-doping measures reflects the ongoing challenge within the sport to ensure fairness and integrity.