Chris Froome’s abnormal test result triggered a huge public outrage. When it comes to “specified substance”, such as Salbutamol, provisional suspension is not mandatory and the rider is free to choose it or not. Nevertheless, MPCC wishes to make a statement on this topic.
Once again, trouble has been brought upon cycling with the suspicion of a violation of the international anti-doping rules. Given all the efforts made to prevent these kind of events from happening, this is regrettable.
MPCC would like to remind some of its rules, which are applied on a voluntary basis by the 43 team members (65% of the pro peloton, World Tour and Conti Pro), meaning 43 managers and 43 team physicians in charge of these 43 teams and 749 riders.
Article 3: To take responsibility to immediately suspend a rider receiving his first positive testing result. Each member team will inform the President of MPCC as soon as they acknowledge a positive test result sample A.
These rules that the team members commit to were made with a clear purpose: transparency. This is for the benefit of all, and to benefit cycling as well.
This is the reason why MPCC and its Board of Directors, without making any assumption towards the final decision, asks Team Sky to suspend its rider on a voluntary basis, until the end of the procedure. This measure would allow the rider and its team to focus on their defense with serenity, but also to avoid tension among many managers and riders.
Article 9 MEDICAL : TUE must be validated by the physician in charge of the team. It is mandatory for any racer who, due to his health condition, may need a cortisone treatment given systemically -via oral, rectal, intramuscular or intraveinous administration – to be prescribed a sick leave and a competition leave for a minimum of 8 days. Competition participation will resume, subject to a cortisol levels control yielding normal results. Corticoïd infiltrations, which do not require AUT, will imperatively be validated by the physician in charge of the team, who will imperatively prescribe a minimum of 8 days of sick leave and competition leave, as well as a cortisol levels control. In case of unusually low cortisol levels, competition will resume after an additional 8-day rest minimum, and back-to-normal cortisol levels.
MPCC also requests that UCI opens an inquiry following Shane Sutton’s statements. The former Team Sky and UK’s national team’s coach admitted that some of the medicine requiring a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) might have been use to enhance performance.
Given the zero tolerance that everyone advocates and the necessity for transparency, MPCC renews its wish to see Team Sky and all the other teams, sponsors, organizers, national federations, agents, etc… to join MPCC on a voluntary basis. MPCC’s philosophy, alongside the UCI, can make a real difference in the fight against doping.