Magnus Cort says there was no anti-doping testing at Etoille de Bessèges

Magnus Cort has questioned why there was no anti-doping testing at the Ettoile de Bessèges stage race.

The EF Pro Cycling rider, stage winner at this year’s edition of the French race, asked the UCI for an explanation why there was no doping control at the 2.1 ranked event, which featured seven WorldTour teams.

In an Instagram post after the race, Cort said: “It is unfortunately not all good this week, there was never any doping control at this race.

“I don’t understand how it is even allowed to have a race on this level with seven WorldTour teams on the start line without doping control?

“In my opinion that is simply not okay.”

Cort, who switched to EF from Astana for 2020, had a storming start to his season in Bessèges, winning the second stage in a bunch sprint, finishing third the following day and then narrowly missing out on the final stage time trial to his team-mate Alberto Bettiol.

But despite the success, Cort lamented the lack of doping testing at the race.

The five-stage race was attended by 20 teams in total - seven WorldTour including Trek-Segafredo, Cofidis, Ag2r La Mondiale and NTT Pro Cycling, eight ProTeams and five Continental teams.

Cort added: “First race of the season with EF Pro Cycling is done and dusted. What a race we had as a team and big thanks to all my team-mates and staff for the help and a very nice week.

“I finished second in the ITT yesterday behind my team-mate Alberto Bettiol. It is never a good feeling to be second but I must also be happy that I did my best ever ITT.”

The race was won overall by Ag2r La Mondiale’s Benoît Cosnefroy, who finished 13 seconds ahead of Bettiol.

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Stage winners included Ben O’Connor of NTT Pro Cycling, Dries de Bondt (Alpecin-Fenix) and Alexys Brunel (Groupama-FDJ)

The UCI said: “The operational aspects of the fight against doping were delegated by the UCI to the Cycling Anti-Doping Foundation (CADF), the independent body which defines and carries out the UCI’s anti-doping strategy. The UCI is not implicated in the operational aspects of anti-doping."

Cycling's governing body added that the CADF carries out testing at all UCI WorldTour, ProSeries events, and a selection of other international events.

The lists of where testing will be carried out is not made public and can change at any time to ensure the unpredictability of testing.

All riders on WorldTeam and ProTeams must also confirm their whereabouts for random testing.