Jonas Vingegaard has revealed that he has a missed anti-doping take a look at on his report, saying that it is “positively one thing I take into consideration afterwards to ensure it would not occur once more.”
The double Tour de France winner spoke extensively about biking’s historical past, anti-doping, and testing in an interview with Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet. He stated that “it is a disgrace” that the game is affected by the quite a few doping scandals of the previous, whereas additionally acknowledging Jumbo-Visma teammate Michel Hessmann’s ongoing case.
Talking about his missed take a look at, which he says occurred in 2019, Vingegaard spoke concerning the circumstances that led to it, whereas noting that he has been examined round 60-70 instances through the 2023 season.
“I had left my cell phone within the kitchen, after which our doorbell did not work. They tried to name me, and it was clear that it was not possible to reply,” he advised Ekstra Bladet. “In fact, it is not cool. However then they got here two days later.
“You get examined there, however in fact, it is not nice to have a missed take a look at hanging over you. It is positively one thing I take into consideration afterwards to ensure it would not occur once more.
“I do not suppose it is that tough,” he added, referring to complying with the Whereabouts system the place riders have to supply day by day timeslots to be obtainable for testing. “You all the time have to recollect it. It is a trouble, however after I’m simply at dwelling, it is not so tough.”
Vingegaard stated that the elevated quantity of testing in fashionable biking is “a great factor”. Nonetheless, he famous that riders claiming they all the time take a look at damaging “rings hole”, on condition that the identical claims have been made within the EPO-fuelled years of the Nineteen Nineties and 2000s.
“It is a good factor to be examined on a regular basis. It helps in a manner. All of your assessments are damaging, however in a manner, it rings hole as a result of 20 years in the past they have been examined too,” he stated.
“In some way riders can nonetheless cheat, so I do not wish to simply say – as they did within the outdated days – that I’m the rider who’s examined probably the most. I do not take a look at optimistic. They did one thing again then, and folks will certainly consider that riders will do it once more.”
Vingegaard additionally spoke about Michel Hessmann, the German rider who’s going through a ban of as much as 4 years from the game after testing optimistic for a diuretic in an out-of-competition take a look at again in June.
“I do not know the way it received into his physique,” he stated. “However I believe each bike owner’s greatest concern is that you simply get it by way of some meals or one thing you eat, and that manner take a look at optimistic with out your intention has been dishonest, however you continue to get it into your physique.”
Hessmann faces an extended spell away from racing after his B-sample got here again optimistic earlier this month. If he can show that he examined optimistic resulting from a contaminated complement or meals, then a possible four-year ban might be diminished to 2 years.
His staff has pledged to “look within the mirror ourselves – are we doing every part proper?” within the wake of the case.
The 22-year-old’s case is considered one of strikingly few positives that emerge on the high stage of biking these days. The UCI’s provisional suspensions and sanctions lists are full of lesser-known riders from the decrease rungs of the game in Asia, South America, and Portugal testing optimistic for EPO and steroids.
Biking at WorldTour stage, then, seems to be cleaner than ever with fewer doping busts and optimistic assessments scandalising the very elite of the game.
“I believe it’s a disgrace that we’re affected by what occurred 20-30 years in the past,” Vingegaard stated.
“I do not wish to cover it, however as a result of it has occurred, I nonetheless suppose it is vital to speak concerning the previous. As a result of when you simply sweep it beneath the carpet, then it is clear that individuals may nonetheless not care if everybody cheats.
“In case you speak about it, there’s a greater probability that you simply will not cheat, I believe. Perhaps it is a method to forestall it from taking place sooner or later.
“I do not take something, and I do not suppose that the remainder of the peloton does both. Since I can win the Tour de France twice with out taking something, I additionally consider that everybody else would not take something both.”