With half of the participating teams being members of the MPCC, the Tour de France Femmes, one of the major races of the season, is an opportunity to consolidate women’s cycling’s commitment to anti-doping.
After two months of build up, the season of major stage races (Vuelta Femenina, Vuelta a Burgos, Tour of Britain, Tour of Switzerland, Giro d’Italia Women) is getting close to its end with the 4th Tour de France Femmes, which started on Saturday in Brittany. The main goal of the season for many riders brought together 154 competitors representing 22 teams and 26 nationalities at the start.
Still in its early stages of development among the general public, women’s cycling is gradually trying to write its finest hours, such as the epic duel between Demi Vollering and Katarzyna Niewiadoma on the slopes of L’Alpe-d’Huez in 2024. In addition to putting on a good show, those involved on the field must also commit to the fight against doping, for fair and clean sport.
In this Tour de France, 24 riders, or just over 15% of the starters, are members of the MPCC on their own. Half of the participating teams (11/22) are also members of our movement. While the MPCC is pleased to see that all teams in the new Women’s Pro Team division have joined, we hope that other teams, World Teams and Continental teams, will realise the need to be active in the fight against doping. Despite the fact that relatively few doping cases have come to light in the professional women’s sphere in recent years, the latter should not believe itself to be immune to this scourge.
Indeed, unlike their male counterparts in the Tour de France, no female rider, within the starting field, have ever been sanctioned for a positive doping test and suspended for at least six months. Nevertheless, the MPCC has always wanted to keep the light on about doping issues. It is therefore necessary for as many stakeholders as possible to make a formal commitment against it and ensuring that our sport remains credible.