Jonas Vingegaard admits he missed an anti-doping test

In an article from the Danish paper Ekstra Bladet, Jonas Vingegaard said he missed an anti-doping test in 2019. In the report, he spoke about some of the sport’s infamous past and problems with doping, as well as his teammate Michel Hessmann’s positive.

As for Vingegaard missing his test, he said it was due to two factors. “I had left my cell phone in the kitchen, and then our doorbell didn’t work. They tried to call me, and it was clear that it was not possible to answer,” he said. “Of course, it’s not cool. But they did come back two days later.”

Tests are good for the sport, Vingegaard says

The Dane also said that he believes the testing procedures are positive for the sport, despite the sport’s troubled history with doping. “It’s a good thing to be tested all the time. It helps in a way. All your tests are negative, but in a way, it rings hollow because 20 years ago they were tested too,” he said. “Somehow riders can still cheat, so I don’t want to just say–as they did in the old days, that I am the rider who is tested the most, I don’t test positive. They did something back then, and cycling fans will definitely believe that riders will do it again.”

Jonas Vingegaard: ‘I’m 100 per cent sure that my two teammates and I are not taking anything’

He admits that the optics of missing a whereabouts are not optimal. “It’s not great to have a missed test hanging over you. It’s definitely something I think about afterward to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” he said. Vingegaard also said that the protocols for whereabouts are straightforward, as athletes simply need to provide times when they are home to be tested. “I don’t think it’s that difficult. You always have to remember it. It’s a hassle, but when I’m just at home, it’s not so difficult,” he said. As for his missed test, he said, “it’s definitely something I think about afterward to make sure it doesn’t happen again, ever.” Vingegaard also added that in 2023, he was tested between 60-70 times. He didn’t give any  more details about the missed test, just that it had occurred.

Whereabouts protocols

According to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), selected athletes are required to provide whereabouts information on a quarterly basis, such as home address, email address and phone number. Also, they need to give an address for overnight accommodations, as well as regular activities, such as training, work, and school, the locations and the times of these activities. Riders must provide their competition schedules as well as a 60-minute time slot for each day where they’ll be available and accessible for testing and liable for a potential missed test.

Jonas Vingegaard: ‘I don’t take anything I would not give to my daughter’

His 22-year-old teammate, Hessmann, tested positive in an out-of-competition drug test administered on June 14. The A sample from this test returned a positive result, indicating the presence of a diuretic medication. The B sample has now conclusively confirmed the veracity of the doping infraction. The Dane said that he is still unsure how his teammate tested positive for it. “I don’t know how it got into his body,” he added. “But to be honest, I think every cyclist’s biggest fear is that you get it through some food or something you eat, and that way, test positive without your intention, has been cheating, but you still get it into your body.”