8 things to know about the cortisol levels control
MPCC wishes to clarify the process of cortisol levels tests (complete document here). Tests are conducted in order to protect athlete's health, and not in the frame of the antidoping fight. There are carried out in the wake of the numerous askings of all of the doctors belonging to MPCC's teams members. Thus, since 2009, MPCC aims at banning the use of coirticoides during competitions. The approach of MPCC relies upon international scientific litterary and on the advices of endocrinologists experts, such as Jonathan Ownby, Martin Duclos, Yves Le Bouc, Michel Guinot, whose analysis are to find here and here.
Team Astana temporarily suspended of MPCC
In the wake of the choice of Astana to allow Lars Boom to take the start of the Tour de France and thus not to respect the article 9 of the MPCC’s rules, unanimously the board of directors of MPCC take cognizance of this decision and temporarily suspend Team Astana of its movement, waiting for the next meeting of the board of directors according to its statute.
In virtue of this decision, team Astana will no longer be subject to the unscheduled cortisol levels controls conducted by MPCC from this day on.
We shall remind that cortisol levels controls are part of the health protection of the rider, because a collapse cortisol level can have serious consequences for the high-level athlete. Since 2009, more than 1 400 cortisol levels controls have been conducted on the riders belonging to teams’ members of MPCC.
During this period, only 8 deductions were displaying abnormal low cortisol levels.
07/03 Press Release
Following the cortisol level tests carried out by the UCI on all the riders competing in the 2015 Tour de France, MPCC has received notice of the anonymous results of its 14 team members starting the race, on Friday afternoon.
Its results having shown an abnormally low cortisol level, Team Astana has immediately reported Roger Legeay, President of MPCC, the identity of the rider concerned (Lars Boom).
According to article 9 of MPCC regulation, in case of abnormally low cortisol levels, competition will resume after an additional 8-day rest minimum, and back-to-normal cortisol levels.
MPCC would like to remind that cortisol level tests are carried out within the framework of health, not antidoping.
Press release about Team Southeast
In August 2014, UCI revealed that Matteo Rabottini, from MPCC member Neri Sottoli, had been tested positive. The movement “deplored that they were not informed by the team spontaneously, following the positive control of its rider, and were provided no acceptable explanation at the general meeting, during which the team [did] not show up.”
On 3 December 2014, the board of MPCC met Serge Parsani, sporting director of the team, and who was representing its manager Angelo Citracca. The membership of the team for the coming season depended on these new explanations. At the end of the board meeting it was decided to suspend team Neri Sottoli’s MPCC membership with immediate effect, until the October 2015 general meeting. The team, since renamed Southeast, continued to be considered a member of MPCC until that decision was made in this general meeting.
On 9 June 2015, UCI revealed that Ramon Carretero had been tested positive for EPO. The Panamanian rider is also part of Team Southeast which followed Neri Sottoli. Those two positive tests occurred over a less than twelve month period, so MPCC signalled Team Southeast that, under the rules of the movement, it had to suspend itself between June 13 and 20 of this year.
In response to MPCC’s self-suspension request, Team Southeast stated that it has no longer considered itself as a member of the movement since January 2015 and hasn’t felt concerned by the self-suspension. Contacted several times since the beginning of the year, Team Southeast’s executives never indicated to MPCC their wish to remain member of the movement or not.
Given the facts outlined and in accordance with the rules governing the organization, MPCC therefore opens exclusion process against this team.
Dauphiné: Cortisol level tests revealed no irregularity
This Saturday June 13th in Montmélian, start of stage 7, the 13 team members registered for Critérium du Dauphiné submitted their riders to a cortisol level test as part of their commitment to the Movement for a Credible Cycling (MPCC):
- AG2R La Mondiale
- Astana
- Bora-Argon 18
- Cannondale-Garmin
- Cofidis
- Europcar
- FDJ
- Giant-Alpecin
- IAM
- Katusha
- Lotto-Soudal
- MTN-Qhubeka
- Orica-Greenedge
These tests have been performed within the framework of riders’ health, in collaboration with French Cycling Association (FFC) and French Cycling League (LNC). No irregularity has been revealed. The Board notes with satisfaction that all the team members of MPCC registered for Critérium du Dauphiné have scrupulously respected the clauses of their standing orders.
Cortisol levels: MPCC’s answer to LottoNL-Jumbo
In a press release dated on 10th of June 2015, LottoNL-Jumbo announced its decision to quit MPCC by reconsidering the Article 9 of the internal regulation. This stipulates that « in case of unusually low cortisol levels, competition will resume after an additional 8-day rest minimum and back-to-normal cortisol levels. » This article has been existing since the establishment of the movement in 2007. Any team which wants to be part of MPCC fully acknowledges the full internal regulation, which is yearly approved by the General Assembly in the presence of movement’s members.
Thus, on 21st of October 2014, MPCC’s General Assembly unanimously approved its internal regulation for the year 2015. Outside the general meeting, team physicians even asked for « the number of cortisol tests, procuded several times a year on a voluntary basis, to be increased. »
These same physicians also asked international expert opinions to support the recommendation of French experts Yves Le Bouc, Martine Duclos and Michel Guinot (doctors appointed by the French Cycling Association) in order to reach a shared position on corticosteroids use. In beginning of April 2015, U.S. endocrinologist expert Jonathan Ownby reinforced the position adopted by MPCC members. Other opinons are expected soon by the MPCC. Like any other team member, LottoNL-Jumbo recommended the opinion of an international expert of their choice, who never replied to MPCC’s requests.
In addition to that and after team member physicians request, MPCC reminds that a number of requests, related to the implementation of the regulation of corticosteroids use, has been sent to Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and World Anti Doping Agency (WADA).
According to MPCC Board members meeting in Lyon on 8th of June 2015, there is no reason to grant LottoNL-Jumbo’s request, to avoid proceeding to cortisol level tests on the coming races. No change in the internal regulation can be adopted before the next General Assembly planned in October 2015.
More than 1,300 cortisol level tests have been performed on riders of MPCC team members since 2009. Only 7 samples revealed unusually low cortisol levels in that period. The Board is surprised to observe that the cortisol level of a rider on inhaled corticosteroids treatment has not been better monitored by LottoNL-Jumbo medical staff in the days prior to 2015 Giro, especially in the light of a first case of unusually low cortisol level faced by the team at the start of 2013 Vuelta.
In conclusion, the MPCC Board reminds that the health of the riders and full respect of the rules abided voluntarly by the members remain the fundamental principles of the movement.
“Everybody into MPCC would like to see the MPCC rules enforced by WADA or UCI”
Andrew Talansky was the first Americain rider to win Critérium du Dauphiné since Lance Armstrong, then stripped of his results achieved between August 1998 and the end of his career. Has the US people renewed their confidence in the country’s riders since the fall of the former seven time winner of the Tour de France ? The question remains, he says, even though he insists he was on the same side as those fans who felt cheated by all this story: he believed it before discovering the truth and had to disown his idol. « We have the same experience as the American fans », he states on behalf of a whole generation of riders who have not experienced the US Postal or Discovery Channel period and are now part of new teams such as Cannondale-Garmin.
Today, Andrew Talansky’s main concern about fight against doping is to know if fans are aware of the efforts made: « I think they can see that and they can understand ». He explains that Cannondale-Garmin’s commitment to MPCC - which is very faithful because lasting for almost 8 years - was part of an overall process established by the general manager Jonathan Vaughters from the very beginning of the team. He hopes that « maybe down the roads, in a few years » UCI may « model their own rules a little closer » to MPCC's.
Rollin : "There was a global awareness"
Dominique Rollin is an unconventional rider: now back in pro ranks with MPCC member Team Cofidis after a year without competition, the Canadian is beginning a second career. The first one came at the relatively late age of 26 in 2009 with Cervélo, after two years at the Continental level in the United States. But in his early years, he spent time in Europe as part of VC Roubaix, a French amateur team which since became Roubaix-Lille Métropole.
In an interview with MPCC, Dominique Rollin considers that, in order to promote cycling, the main area of focus must not be the fight against doping: he estimates that this matter must be resolved internally and that this sport has to bring forward all that it does to make itself more attractive and understandable. He says he doesn’t feel concerned by such issues as corticosteroids because he doesn’t « have this culture to use pills ». He is rooted in the principle that he has never needed medicine, preferring instead to leave the task to alleviate health problems to his body – so he sees pain as something normal to deal with. In that sense he says he was surprised by the European culture upon his arrival in this continent.
Press release about Bardiani-CSF case
Following reports in today's press regarding team BARDIANI-CSF currently racing in the Giro d'Italia, MPCC expressly points out that on Friday, May 9, the movement was informed by team BARDIANI-CSF that one of its riders showed an abnormally low cortisol level.
As of this Friday prior to the start of the Giro d'Italia, MPCC has formally requested to the team BARDIANI-CSF - through its president - not to enter this rider into the race and to prescribe eight days off-race as from the date the sample was taken by the UCI, in accordance with article 9 of MPCC regulations and its annex.
MPCC considered that the explanations provided by the team BARDIANI-CSF were not sufficient to keep the rider in the race and immediately invited the team manager to attend the board of directors scheduled on June 8th in Lyon, in order to provide further explanation and allow the board to review this case.
MPCC would like to remind that on October 20, 2014, all the team doctors reaffirmed the strict enforcement of the existing rules for health reasons.
At this annual meeting, MPCC team doctors expressed unanimously their wish to increase the number of cortisol level tests.
Since the beginning of the year a total of 263 cortisol level tests have been run on the professional peloton, either on the initiative of MPCC (128) or UCI (135 in the Giro).
Doping figures as at May 1
Identifying cases of doping is not an easy task and is subject to discretion if required by their respective international federations, some do not advertise doping cases in their discipline. Cycling, in contrast, reveals each positive test. Our numbers are therefore based on proven cases in 2014, according to official communications federations and anti-doping agencies, etc..
In 2014, athletics was the sport most affected by positive tests (95), ahead of baseball (62). As at 1 May 2015, these two sports are at the front again with 17 positive tests for baseball and 16 for athletics. After four months, cycling, 4th most affected sport in 2014, is behind baseball, athletics, weightlifting, football and rugby.
The nation with the highest number of cases since the beginning of the year is Bulgaria: 11 weightlifters from this country have been tested positive.
MPCC counting includes:
- Road cycling: three cases identified for this most publicised discipline.
- Track cycling: one case
- Mountain bike: no case
Each time a team member of MPCC has been concerned by a case, the MPCC regulations were followed to the letter : suspension, dismissal.
