– How did you have the opportunity to accompany the Tour de France for two consecutive years in 2017 and 2018?

– I am a cycling enthusiast and am an expert at the world cycling organization UCI.

Pham Van Anh (yellow shirt) always travels in domestic and world races as a world cycling expert – UCI.

– What is your main job at this year’s Tour de France?

– From race one to race nine, I was in the doping control department.

– How did you feel when you received the invitation from the organizers of the most prestigious but also the harshest racing event on the planet?

– After accepting the invitation for the first time, I was very nervous because I didn’t know what work would be like, how to travel and eat… I had heard my colleagues talk a lot about the stress of this tournament.

Overcoming the initial obstacles, when I started the tournament, I quickly adapted to everything.

Vietnamese people carry national flags on the streets to cheer for the 2018 Tour de France, image captured by Van Anh.

– Doping is the most painful problem of the Tour de France.

– Because many riders often use doping in this tournament, the Organizing Committee has tightened the monitoring and inspection process.

All samples tested for banned substances are usually only detected after two weeks from the date of sampling.

– What advantages and difficulties do you encounter in doping testing?

– In professional bicycle racing events, testing riders for banned substances is normal.

However, I also encountered many difficulties such as taking veins at the destination of the stages, and adjusting the machine.

Another difficulty is that they often knock on the athletes’ doors at night to get blood, so many people get upset and curse.

Tour de France is the most arduous tournament in the world.

– In recent major racing tours in the world, there is also the concept of `technological doping`.

– In addition to doping due to banned substances, many racers also use their racing cars differently from the regulations of this sport.

I would like to add, `technological doping` in cycling terminology is called Mechanical Doping – until January 2017, it was officially called by the UCI with the new name `Technological Fraud`. Athletes can be suspended at least

An athlete’s bicycle was subjected to a `technological doping` test.

– At the end of this year’s Tour de France, were there any riders infected with doping?

– Except for one case that is being tested, no other riders in this year’s tournament have been found to have used doping.

– You participate in many international cycling tournaments as well as some in Vietnam, is there any difference between these tournaments?

– In recent years, I have had a lot of contact with Vietnamese cyclists and attended a number of races in Vietnam.

In general, most steps in cycling are the same.

Hopefully we will actively learn and innovate to approach the world’s cycling environment, because Vietnam has no shortage of talented athletes who can compete and compete in a professional, classy cycling environment.

End of Tour de France 2018

Champion (Yellow Jersey): Geraint Thomas (Wales/Team Sky) 83 hours 17 minutes 13 seconds Runner-up: Tom Dumoulin (Netherlands/Sunweb) +1 minute 51 seconds Third: Chris Froome (England/Team Sky) +2 minutes

Sprint King (Blue Shirt): Peter Sagan (Slovakia/Bora-Hansgrohe) 477 points

King of Climbing (Red Dot Shirt): Julian Alaphilippe (France/Quick-Step Floors) 170 points

Outstanding young rider (White Shirt): Pierre Latour (France/AG2R La Mondiale) 83 hours 39 minutes 26 seconds

Champion racing team: Movistar (Spain) 250 hours 24 minutes 53 seconds