Vingegaard was tested in the early hours before stage 15, a very tough mountain stage to Plateau de Solaison, when he was in second place in the Grand Tour race. Tadej Pogacar, who won the race on Sunday, was reportedly tested around 05:00 AM. The overnight controls continued to spark debate throughout the race, with questions over whether the timing was justified.
Speaking to Het Nieuwsblad, Van Aert stressed that he supports rigorous anti-doping efforts but questioned why Vingegaard was singled out for a test.
“I was shocked by it. I’ve never experienced anything like that myself,” Van Aert said. “If the anti-doping authorities have indications that such a time is necessary to detect certain substances, then I understand it. I’m absolutely in favour of proper controls.”
“Jonas was the only one tested at two in the morning. Not a single other rider was woken at that time. It affects the race regardless, and for me, that’s completely unacceptable,” he said.
“There simply has to be a clear line. One rider had his night’s sleep interrupted, and that had an impact on the race,” he said.
The next day after the late-night test, Vingegaard crashed out of the Tour, though there was no evidence to suggest the overnight test was related to the crash.
Van Aert will lead his Dutch team at the five-stage Tour of Denmark, which starts on Wednesday.