Pro Cyclist Cavallar Faces Surprise Doping Test Hours After Mother’s Death

Valentina Cavallar had just lost her mother, and then she had to face a doping control.

The 25-year-old SD Worx-Protime rider says she underwent a surprise, anti-doping test at home in September in the room next to where her mother’s body lay.

The Austrian climber revealed the episode in an Instagram post explaining why she cut short her season after the Tour de France Femmes.

“What made this experience even harder was that just a few hours after my mum had passed away, I had to undergo a doping control at home, in the room next to where she lay,” Cavallar wrote.

Her post did not identify which organization conducted the test or say whether she asked for a delay.

“I understand the importance of clean sport, and I have always respected the responsibility that comes with being a professional athlete,” she wrote. “But in that moment, I was clearly not thinking about cycling, competition or my responsibilities as an athlete. I was a daughter who had just lost her mum.”

Velo contacted the International Testing Agency — which runs cycling’s anti-doping program — to request comment.

Riders in the registered testing pool must report their whereabouts and designate a daily 60-minute window when they are available for controls. Testers can also arrive unannounced outside that hour.

Cavallar — who finished ninth in the 2026 Giro d’Italia Women — said undergoing the control so soon after her mother’s death made an already devastating experience even harder.

“Having to navigate a doping control in those circumstances felt deeply painful, profoundly out of place and disrespectful towards my family,” she wrote.

Cavallar normally keeps her private life private, but said she felt she had to speak up.

“I believe in clean sport. But I also believe that humanity, compassion and respect should never be forgotten,” she wrote.