Sponsoring: exposition at all costs versus values
Marc Frederix is the marketing director of the Loterie Nationale Belge, main sponsor of the team Lotto-Soudal. He holds with Thierry Huguenin (Française des Jeux) the position of sponsors representative within MPCC. He does not hesitate to compare these two public companies which consider that the image comes before the sporting results. His position on this matter is strong : values must prevail over exposition at all costs. He disagrees with the idea that « even the worst news can be regarded as good for sponsors only focused on exposition ». Frederix stresses the need to work with riders and staff members who join the sponsor’s spirit and maintains that today's and tomorrow’s champions must have the right philosophy in order to « build tomorrow’s cycling ».
That is why having sponsors within MPCC is essential: their commitments on a voluntary basis perfectly complete team members’ involvement. A sponsor which is part of MPCC promises to never build its communication around riders or ex-riders who had been banned for doping or to hire them for public relations, press relations or consulting. Regular MPCC meetings are held with the sponsors in order to allow these companies to have their say in the lifecycle of the movement. As yet, sponsors members of MPCC are : LCL, PMU, Bora, Cofidis, la Loterie Nationale Belge, FDJ, IAM et AG2R La Mondiale.
May or may not be part of MPCC
Let us go back in MPCC’s history. Gathered in London on July 5th, 2007, and then in Pau on July 24th, 2007, teams AG2R La Mondiale, Agritubel, Bouygues Telecom, Cofidis, Crédit Agricole, Française des Jeux and Gerolsteiner decided to come together to create Mouvement Pour un Cyclisme Credible (MPCC), in response to non-compliance with the ethical charter made as of January 1st, 2005, unanimously accepted by AIGCP. The measures MPCC proposed from the very beginning already included the principle of cessation of work for an intra-articular infiltration of corticoids. In the following weeks, teams like Skil-Shimano, Rabobank, Slipstream and T-Mobile joined the movement. Affected by two positive antidoping tests in less than twelve months, T-Mobile was the first team to respect the principle of self-suspension on a voluntary basis. Those ground rules that current MPCC members committed to respect are part of founding principles of the movement.
In October 2009, Iwan Spekenbrink became Vice-President of MPCC. His team Skil-Shimano, member of MPCC for two years, rode in July its first Tour de France. Still in this position five years later, the Dutch has been a major player in the development of MPCC, which has substantially enlarged its membership in response to the important relegations regarding Armstrong case. Today MPCC represents 84% of the professional teams. There are 31 teams from World Tour and Continental Pro divisions which include 15 nationalities. Just 6 professional teams are not members of MPCC - Iwan Spekenbrink says not to judge them : « The most important is that one day (…) we can be where we want to be. The most important is that MPCC contributes. That’s more important than if there’s 5 teams more or less. The development of MPCC shows that the development of cycling is making. »
"No to tramadol!"
In October 2013, MPCC asked World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) to add tramadol to the banned substances list. At the same time, the MPCC teams’ doctors formally committed during a general meeting not to administer tramadol anymore. Two representatives for MPCC doctors: Gérard Guillaume (FDJ) and Jan Mathieu (Lotto-Soudal) continue to claim that “tramadol should have nothing to do with sports - particularly with cycling”. Gérard Guillaume expresses his views on this topic: “with the ever going races throughout the year, tramadol exposes the rider to health issues because of its side effects which include drowsiness and dizziness. From a medical point of view, it’s irresponsible to administer this medication to a cyclist in the context of a competition.”
Jan Mathieu regrets that not all of the team doctors feel that way: "This year, I went on Belgian TV with the intention to explain that." He adds "the non-MPCC teams disagree on that point." He believes in “a committee with many physicians who discuss on several matters. We must no longer work on our own.” Tramadol remains part of the monitoring program on the banned substances list, as well as on the methods of WADA – the agency has still taken no action to include this medication in it.
All Continental Pro teams are committed to MPCC
Earlier this year, two teams just promoted to the Continental Pro division (Cult Energy and Team Roompot) joined MPCC. Also new entrant, Nippo-Vini Fantini was already member of the movement. Just one team was missing : CCC Sprandi Polkowice. This February 17, the Polish team has been accepted as member on probation of MPCC : now all of the Continental Pro teams are part of MPCC, which also represents 84% of professional teams.
Professional teams which are members of MPCC are :
- AG2R La Mondiale,
- Astana,
- Cannondale-Garmin,
- FDJ,
- Giant-Alpecin,
- IAM Cycling,
- Katusha,
- Lampre-Merida,
- Lotto-Jumbo,
- Lotto-Soudal,
- Orica-Greenedge (World Tour)
- Androni Giocattoli - Venezuela,
- Bardiani - CSF,
- Bora - Argon 18,
- Bretagne - Séché Environnement,
- Caja Rural,
- CCC Polsat,
- Cofidis,
- Colombia,
- Cult Energy,
- Drapac,
- Europcar,
- MTN - Qhubeka,
- Southeast,
- Novo Nordisk,
- Rusvelo,
- Team Roompot,
- Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise,
- UnitedHealthcare,
- Nippo - Vini Fantini (Continental Pro)
32 Continental teams and 8 women teams are also members of MPCC.
6 professional teams on a total of 37 are not MPCC members.
CCC Sprandi Polkowice probationary member of MPCC
CCC Sprandi Polkowice is no longer the only Continental Pro team not to be a MPCC member. Robert Krajewski has requested the membership of the team he manages. The Board of MPCC accepted the application. In 2015, CCC Sprandi Polkowice will be a probationary member of the movement, in order to allow the team to demonstrate they can eventually be qualified as a full member.
Created in 2000, CCC Sprandi Polkowice is one of the oldest teams of the cycling peloton. Last year, this team took part in four World Tour races : Volta a Catalunya, Amstel Gold Race, Tour of Switzwerland and Tour de Pologne. In January, RCS Sport granted CCC Sprandi Polkowice an invitation for the next Giro d’Italia.
Now all of Continental Pro teams are part of MPCC.
Synergy Baku joins MPCC
Created in 2013, the Azeri team Synergy Baku has applied for MPCC membership. Manager of the team, David McQuaid states : "We believe and live your internal regulations on a daily basis. Our reasons for being part of MBCC is to join the consolidated fight again unethical practices within our sport. We truly believe that it can be done and therefore want to be a part of such a great initiative." The board accepted the request this 12th February. Synergy Baku's main riders are Alexandr Pliuschin, Dennis Van Winden, Ioannis Tamouridis, Matej Mugerli and Markus Eibegger, both former members of first division teams.
Team Armée de Terre new member of MPCC
Promoted this year from amateur ranks to the Continental division, the French team Armée de Terre, supported by the National Department of Defense, has requested its application to MPCC membership. The Board accepted this February 11th and welcomes the team managed by David Lima da Costa into the movement. With this new membership, each and every UCI-registered French teams are part of MPCC.
02/11 Press Release
During its Board meeting, MPCC overviewed the registrations of the year 2014. In 2013, the number of members increased (+70 registrations) following the Armstrong case. In 2014, the movement continued to welcome new members. On December 31st 2014, 104 members were part of MPCC, distributed as follows :
- 67 teams
- 12 federations or associations
- 10 sponsors
- 8 races organizers
- 4 sporting agents
- 3 supporting members
The Board also accepted the latest membership requests received in the beginning of this year, so MPCC now represents 81% of the professional divisions (World Tour & Pro Continental).
Pro Continental teams :
- Cult Energy Pro Cycling
- Team Roompot
Continental teams :
- Armée de Terre
- GM Cycling Team
- Parkhotel Valkenburg
- SEG Racing
- Team Stötling
- Synergy Baku
Women teams :
- Parkhotel Valkenburg
Team Torku Sekerspor also joins MPCC but as a probatory member.
MPCC is happy to welcome BORA amongst its sponsor members, along with 3 new sporting agent members.
MPCC is once again proud to say all its members respected the movement’s core regulation on a volontary basis, particularly the self-suspension principle such as the implementation of article 4 which dictates team members « not to hire (...) within two years after the suspension (...) riders who are convicted of any anti-doping violation (...) and who were given a sanction of six months or more by the international court or national body. »
On this matter, in the next days, MPCC is waiting for the position of Lampre-Merida about the team’s press release announcing Diego Ulissi’s come back on the next Vuelta al Pais Vasco.
Antidoping : Are development teams more concerned than others?
30 teams in the two top cycling divisions (World Tour and Continental Pro) are part of MPCC but the movement also contains 33 Continental teams with a majority of elite and/or U23 riders. Christophe Brandt is the manager of one of those development teams, Color Code, member of MPCC for two years. The former Belgian rider is also a member of MPCC board. Deeply involved in the education of young talents aiming to become professional riders, he brings his small team manager's specific vision.
Many teams which are not competing in the World Tour circuit are committed to MPCC and that shows the fight for credibility of cycling is not only led by the big teams. On the Continental races the quality of the education work is evident and as Christophe Brandt says: "Fewer and fewer marginal riders want to steal the show before disappearing for lack of credibility."
Parkhotel-Valkenburg men and women teams join MPCC
There is two new teams within MPCC. Both men and women Parkhotel-Valkenburg teams have been accepted as members of the movement on 5 February. Parkhotel-Valkenburg men team's leader is Wim Stroetinga, former World Tour rider with Milram. Main riders of the women team are Janneke Ensing and Natalie Van Gogh. The manager of the two teams is Paul Tabak, the physician is Bas Pijnenburg.