The ITA to implement a rigorous and intelligence-based anti-doping program for the 2024 Tour de France

The ITA will independently lead the clean sport program for the Tour de France as part of cycling’s anti-doping operational activities delegated to the ITA by the UCI. The ITA is in charge of the overall clean sport strategy for the French Grand Tour, including the definition of an intelligence-led and enhanced testing plan.

Features of this year’s strategy for the French Grand Tour include:

• first use of endocrine module as part of the Athlete Biological Passport (ABP)
• more than 40 sample collection personnel and ITA staff at the Grand Depart
• 400 out-of-competition tests planned in the month prior to the Grand Depart
• 600 samples to be collected in-competition
• close collaboration with French and Italian authorities
• selected samples to be kept for potential re-analysis over the next 10 years

This plan is applied on the basis of a bespoke risk assessment that takes into account a weighed variety of relevant factors whilst constantly adapting to current circumstances or new information through permanent monitoring, for example based on the riders’ performance. This testing plan also considers any relevant information received through the monitoring of the athletes’ ABP and its new features implemented by the ITA, such as the endocrine module that can indicate the use of Human Growth hormone (HGh) and any insights gathered by the dedicated cycling unit of the ITA’s Intelligence & Investigations (I&I) department.

All doping controls at the Tour de France will be targeted and performed any time over the course of the three-week race, not only at the finish line. At every stage, the yellow jersey and stage winner will be tested. Additionally, all athletes will already be tested before the start of the event as part of their medical monitoring. This year, all samples will primarily be sent to the Lausanne World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)-accredited anti-doping laboratory.

While around 600 blood and urine samples will be collected during the race, the period prior to the Tour de France is also key to guarantee a level playing field during the race. Therefore, the ITA aims to conduct around 400 out-of-competition tests in the month leading up to the event.

At the end of the race, the ITA will make a selection of samples that will be kept for potential re-analysis over the next 10 years and keep monitoring athletes closely after the Tour de France based on all relevant data collected by the ITA before and during the race.

While more than 40 sample collection personnel and ITA staff will be involved in the coordination and execution of the controls conducted on all participants in Firenze, Italy, before the Grand Depart of the Tour de France, doping controls throughout the race will mainly be conducted by the ITA’s own sample collection personnel, composed of 10 doping control and blood collection officers with in-depth cycling experience. For the roll-out of the anti-doping program, the ITA collaborates with the French National Anti-Doping Organisation (AFLD), who will offer support with their doping control personnel. Chaperones, tasked with notifying riders that they have been selected for testing and accompanying them to the doping control station, will be provided with the support of the private specialised agency Sports Ethics. The ITA is also in close contact with other relevant French and international actors, for example with authorities at different sectoral levels, for support and information exchange.

Furthermore, 2024 marks the second year of increased resources to foster fairer cycling. As a reminder, the UCI, UCI WorldTeams, UCI ProTeams, UCI WorldTour organisers, and men’s professional road cyclists decided to strengthen the ITA’s capacity to protect the integrity of the sport with a gradual 35% budget increase until the end of 2024. This funding primarily supports areas such as I&I, testing, science, data analysis, long-term sample storage, and sample re-analysis.

In 2023, focus was put on bolstering I&I, testing and science capacities for the cycling anti-doping program. As planned, testing increased by 10% with 15,200 collected samples in 2023 collected against 13,800 in 2022, with a focus on out-of-competition doping controls. The ITA also strengthened its I&I, scientific and data analytics capacity with the recruitment of recognised experts in their respective field of competence.

The ITA is confident these additional resources will support the implementation of a high-level quality anti-doping program to ensure a clean and fair competition environment for all participants in this highly anticipated event.