Some drivers from the Dakar Rally, the long and arduous rally race through the desert of Saudi Arabia, were submitted to a surprise antidoping test: the first a doping test has been made in the history of the competition. Naturally, this led to a lot of confusion and some conflicting reports.
Officially, the organisation hasn't informed about any test. But several outlets reports that, after the eight stage, some bike drivers like Tosha Schareina, Daniel Sanders, José Ignacio Cornejo y Ricky Brabec where summoned to a "sporting meeting room", where they found a surprise antidoping test.
According to whispers, it has been made due to an anonymous request by a team or a driver. And it apparently revolves around Spanish driver Tosha Schareina, who fell from the bike at the stage 5. Besides the pain, there were no physical consequences for the driver, but apparently some drivers were suspicious that he was taking some drugs, as reported by As.
Asked about the topic, some sources told that outlet that this was an "arbitrary test", while other said that this types of controls are prepared with plenty of time in advance, maybe trying to reject suspicions...