Armstrong attacks nighttime doping controls at the Tour

Lance Armstrong, previously stripped of his seven Tour de France victories due to doping, has weighed in on the controversy surrounding the overnight doping tests conducted. The former Texan rider harshly criticized the test Jonas Vingegaard was reportedly subjected to just hours before the crash that forced him to abandon the race.

Even one of the most controversial figures in cycling history has expressed his opinion on the night checks at the Tour. During the podcast “The Move,” Armstrong said that the checks would show up outside Vingegaard’s room at two in the morning, waking him up in the middle of the race.

"They showed up outside his room at two in the morning, knocked on the door, and made him get up while he was competing in the Tour de France. A situation like this even concerns human rights. I'm speechless," he said.

The controversy arose after Vingegaard, considered one of the main favorites for the overall victory, withdrew. The Dane, a two-time Tour winner, crashed during the fifteenth stage, breaking his collarbone. Before the start, he had undergone a doping test around 2:00 a.m.

General classification leader Tadej Pogačar also received a similar visit, but at 5 a.m. The Slovenian reportedly hinted that the lack of rest resulting from the check may have played a role in his rival's accident.

Armstrong broached the subject with former British Tour winner Bradley Wiggins and George Hincapie, one of his key teammates for many years. The three speculated that, due to the long transfer after the previous stage, Vingegaard hadn't been able to get to sleep before 1:00 a.m.

"He had probably fallen asleep very recently and was woken up again just an hour later. I think we can all agree that this is not appropriate," Wiggins commented.

Armstrong's statements inevitably drew attention, partly because of his past. The former American cyclist, banned for life, lost all seven of his Tour de France victories due to a widespread doping scheme. He later publicly confessed his guilt during a television interview. Since then, he has no longer been considered a welcome presence at the Grande Boucle.