‘I Wasn’t Thinking About Cycling – I Was A Daughter Who Had Just Lost Her Mum’ – Valentina Cavallar Subjected To A Drugs Test Hours After The Death Of Her Mother, In The Room Next To Where She Lay

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Austrian cyclist Valentina Cavallar says she was tested for doping at home just hours after her mother died, in a room beside where her mother lay. She said she respects clean-sport testing but described the timing and setting as painful and out of place. The testing authority’s explanation for proceeding has not been reported.

Austrian cyclist Valentina Cavallar says she underwent a doping test at her family home just hours after her mother died, in a room next to where her mother lay. Her account has brought renewed attention to how anti-doping controls are carried out when athletes face acute personal emergencies, even as she said she supports the need for clean-sport testing.

Cavallar, 25, said on Instagram that her mother’s death in September changed how she viewed life and prompted her to step back from racing. She described the test as taking place at home, hours after her mother had passed away. Cycling Weekly reported her account and the surrounding circumstances; the available report does not include a response from the testing authority explaining why the control went ahead at that time.

The cyclist said she understood the responsibility attached to competing professionally and recognised the importance of testing. But she said that, at the time, she was focused on her loss rather than cycling or her obligations as an athlete. She characterised the control as painful, out of place and disrespectful to her family.

Cavallar joined SD Worx–Protime at the start of 2026 and had a top-10 finish at the Giro d’Italia Women, according to Cycling Weekly. She withdrew from the Tour de France Femmes shortly before its final stage, with her absence reported at the time as being for “personal and family reasons.” Her new account provides a more specific explanation for her subsequent pause from racing: the death of her mother and the circumstances surrounding the test.

Testing Rules Meet Family Bereavement

Cavallar’s account focuses on a conflict between two responsibilities: anti-doping systems must be able to locate athletes for testing, while the way those systems are applied can affect people during intensely personal moments. Her comments do not dispute the principle of testing; they ask whether authorities can exercise human discretion in exceptional circumstances.

The issue may matter to other athletes because whereabouts requirements allow testing bodies to find competitors outside events and training. A test can be procedurally permitted yet still prompt questions about judgment, communication and the treatment of an athlete experiencing a family death. The account alone does not establish whether rules were breached or whether officials had information about the situation before the test.

How Athlete Testing Is Scheduled

According to the report, professional riders must provide whereabouts information covering 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., enabling the International Testing Agency to conduct controls. Testing outside those hours can take place in exceptional circumstances with permission from the World Anti-Doping Agency. Cavallar’s reported test occurred during daytime hours, but her criticism concerns the circumstances, not an allegation that the control was conducted outside the permitted period.

Questions about testing practices have also surfaced around overnight controls at this year’s Tour de France. Cycling Weekly reported that several riders, including Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard, were tested during the night before major stages; it said no clear explanation for those tests had been made public. Those cases differ from Cavallar’s: her account centres on bereavement at home rather than testing during a race.

Questions About the Test Remain

The account published by Cycling Weekly does not identify which organisation or individual conducted the test, whether the officials knew of Cavallar’s mother’s death beforehand, or whether she was offered any option to postpone the control. No response from the testing authorities explaining the decision is included in the source material.

It is also unclear whether the relevant rules provide a formal process for delaying a test in cases of bereavement or another family emergency. Cavallar’s statements describe her experience and concerns; they do not establish that anti-doping procedures were violated.

Awaiting an Official Response

The next development would be any response from the UCI, the International Testing Agency or another body responsible for the control, including an explanation of the decision and any discretion available under the rules. The source report does not say that a review has been opened or that a policy change is planned.

For now, Cavallar’s public account has put the focus on how testing bodies communicate with athletes and whether exceptional personal circumstances can be handled with sensitivity without undermining clean-sport enforcement. No further action or timetable has been confirmed in the material available.

Key Questions

What happened to Valentina Cavallar?

Cavallar says she underwent a doping test at her family home just hours after her mother died, in a room next to where her mother lay.

Why did Cavallar speak publicly about the test?

She said the experience made her reflect on how testing protocols account for athletes’ personal lives. She said she supports clean-sport testing but found the timing and setting painful and disrespectful to her family.

Was the test outside permitted testing hours?

The report says the test took place during daytime hours. It describes rider whereabouts requirements from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Cavallar’s concern was the circumstances, not a stated claim that the test was outside those hours.

Have authorities explained why the test went ahead?

No explanation from the testing authority is included in the report. It is also not clear whether officials knew about the death before conducting the test.

Why had Cavallar stepped back from racing?

She withdrew from the Tour de France Femmes shortly before its final stage, with her absence initially reported as being for personal and family reasons. She later said her mother’s death was behind her pause from racing.

Source: rss