More than 250 riders are now members of the MPCC!
Seven month after having allowed professional riders to adhere to the MPCC, whether or not they are part of teams that are members of the movement, we can now announced that more than 250 riders have sent their membership request.
Thanks to those adhesions - which are free - the MPCC has the opportunity to go even further:
- Organising an annual MPCC/riders meeting
- Making it possible for the member riders group to have a voting right at general meetings
- Studying their proposals in order to give credibility to cycling’s image
In return, the rider will have to join the MPCC’s philosophy, promote cycling’s image by fighting against any form of doping and cheat, and respect the movement’s internal regulation, especially regarding corticoids and tramadol’s use.
Cortisol level tests on the Vuelta a España
11 team members of the MPCC have submitted 87 riders to cortisol level tests on the Vuelta a España. All the riders have been allowed to start.
On the Vuelta a España, 11 member teams registered for the race submitted 87 riders to cortisol level tests as part of their commitment to the Movement for a Credible Cycling (MPCC) :
- AG2R La Mondiale
- Bora-Hansgrohe
- Groupama-FDJ
- Lotto-Soudal
- Dimension Data
- EF Education First-Drapac
- Sunweb
- Burgos-BH
- Caja Rural
- Cofidis
- Euskadi Murias
These voluntary tests have been performed under the auspices of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) on all participants. The UCI has forwarded to the MPCC the results of all riders of the member teams. All values were above the voluntary MPCC norm. The Board notes with satisfaction that the riders of these MPCC member teams registered for the Vuelta a España have scrupulously respected the clauses of their standing orders, as was already the case on Paris-Nice, Circuit de la Sarthe, Paris-Roubaix, Giro d'Italia, 4 jours de Dunkerque and Tour de France.
Background on cortisol tests by the Mouvement pour un Cyclisme Crédible (MPCC)
The objective of the MPCC and its member teams is to contribute to restoring the credibility of cycling. One of the organisation’s activities are voluntary cortisol tests amongst the riders of the member teams of the MPCC. In case the results of the test present an abnormally low value, the rider concerned will not race for a period of minimum eight days until the cortisol value has recovered again above that minimum value.
For the sake of clarity: it concerns a voluntary norm and the test does not concern an anti-doping control. Under WADA rules, athletes across all sports, with a cortisol level abnormally low, are entitled to perform their sport in competition (unless an anti-doping test has revealed the unauthorized use of the cortisol hormone).
The reason for the MPCC member teams to introduce this voluntary norm (below which the rider concerned will withdraw from competition for that minimum period of eight days), is an effort towards all stakeholders and fans of the sport of cycling and to confirm its commitment to clean sport and to show that cycling and MPCC member teams wish to be a frontrunner in that.
Why cortisol tests ?
Although cortisol hormones are an allowed medicine when pre-scribed by a physician, the use of that medicine has frequently been abused in the history of sports (including in cycling) for the purpose of increasing the performance. Besides, a low level of cortisol can potentially endanger the health of athletes in certain circumstances when he/she is in competition while the athletes perform under high intensity or under stress.
For both reasons and with the objective to contribute to restoring the credibility of cycling, the Mouvement pour un Cyclisme Crédible and its member teams have introduced that voluntary norm below which its riders will temporarily withdraw from competition.
Cortisol level tests on the Tour de France (2)
11 team members of the MPCC have submitted 33 riders to cortisol level tests on the Tour de France. All the riders have been allowed to enter in the 9th stage.
On the Tour de France, 11 member teams registered for the race submitted 33 riders to cortisol level tests as part of their commitment to the Movement for a Credible Cycling (MPCC), before the start of the 9th stage.
These voluntary tests have been performed under the auspices of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) on all participants. The UCI has forwarded to the MPCC the results of all riders of the member teams. All values were above the voluntary MPCC norm. The Board notes with satisfaction that the riders of these MPCC member teams registered for the Tour de France have scrupulously respected the clauses of their standing orders, as was already the case on Paris-Nice, Circuit de la Sarthe, Paris-Roubaix, the Giro d'Italia, the French National Championships and the start of the Tour de France in Vendée.
Background on cortisol tests by the Mouvement pour un Cyclisme Crédible (MPCC)
The objective of the MPCC and its member teams is to contribute to restoring the credibility of cycling. One of the organisation’s activities are voluntary cortisol tests amongst the riders of the member teams of the MPCC. In case the results of the test present an abnormally low value, the rider concerned will not race for a period of minimum eight days until the cortisol value has recovered again above that minimum value.
For the sake of clarity: it concerns a voluntary norm and the test does not concern an anti-doping control. Under WADA rules, athletes across all sports, with a cortisol level abnormally low, are entitled to perform their sport in competition (unless an anti-doping test has revealed the unauthorized use of the cortisol hormone).
The reason for the MPCC member teams to introduce this voluntary norm (below which the rider concerned will withdraw from competition for that minimum period of eight days), is an effort towards all stakeholders and fans of the sport of cycling and to confirm its commitment to clean sport and to show that cycling and MPCC member teams wish to be a frontrunner in that.
Why cortisol tests ?
Although cortisol hormones are an allowed medicine when pre-scribed by a physician, the use of that medicine has frequently been abused in the history of sports (including in cycling) for the purpose of increasing the performance. Besides, a low level of cortisol can potentially endanger the health of athletes in certain circumstances when he/she is in competition while the athletes perform under high intensity or under stress.
For both reasons and with the objective to contribute to restoring the credibility of cycling, the Mouvement pour un Cyclisme Crédible and its member teams have introduced that voluntary norm below which its riders will temporarily withdraw from competition.
June 22nd Press Release
One day after the announcement of an agenda that includes new anti-doping measures, the MPCC praises the UCI and its president Mr. David Lappartient for the strong decisions taken towards the credibility of cycling.
The Management Committee of the UCI has included in the medical field of its Agenda 2022 measures that will be implemented starting January 1st 2019:
- Cortisol controls leading to a minimum of eight days off work and competition in case of an anomaly
- Obligation to declare local infiltrations of glucocorticoids, leading to a minimum of eight days off work and competition.
- Tramadol ban
After 10 years of inertia on these topics on the World Anti-Doping Agency side, the MPCC congratulate the UCI and its president Mr. David Lappartient for the strong decision taken towards the credibility of cycling. The MPCC would also like to thank the managers, the riders and the doctors of the teams belonging to the movement, as they committed to these rules as soon as they joined. Together, they showed that a strict approach of the corticoids and the tramadol problem, on a voluntary basis, was possible, and they convinced the authorities to modify the rules of our sport.
Since MPCC was created, 3207 cortisol tests have been carried out by the movement. These tests will continue for the rest of the 2018 season. The movement reserves the right to keep carrying out these test in 2019 if its members consider that it is necessary to complement the UCI’s scheme to come. There are currently 7 teams out of 18 in the World Tour that are part of the MPCC, along with 24 Continental Pro, 8 Continental and 6 Women teams. Besides, 207 riders (male and females) are now members of the MPCC as individuals, less than 4 months after the individual membership has been made possible at the beginning of March.
Nevertheless, the MPCC asks again to the WADA, as an international independent organisation:
- To add Tramadol on the Prohibited List
- To confirm the principle of an automatic provisional suspension in the event of a positive or abnormal control
- To confirm the competition stoppage in case of glucocorticoids intake
In the meantime, the MPCC and its members will keep on committing to stricter rules than WADA’s ones, on a voluntary basis:
- Provisional suspension in case of abnormal or positive control
- Termination of contract when a rider is suspended for more than 6 months
- No signing of a rider that has been suspended for more than 6 months
- Introspection period (No competition for 8 days) for a team with two positive controls in the last 12 months, except if the UCI has already applied the same sanction.
All the teams, riders, organizers, national federations, sponsors who share the values of the MPCC are of course welcome to become members of the movement. The rules of the MPCC, applied on a voluntary basis, are a vital complement to the fight against doping and remain an essential tool for the credibility of cycling.
200 riders are now members of the MPCC
In only three months, MPCC has registered more than 200 subscriptions coming from pro riders, males and females.
On June 5th, during the last Critérium du Dauphiné, the Board held a meeting to validate these 200 first riders to join the movement: a list that we enjoy seeing get bigger and bigger every day. MPCC is also getting more and more international, with these new members coming from 27 countries, and employed by 35 different teams (male and female).
Our movement would like to thank all these riders for their commitment. They decided, on their own behalf, to assert their support for the ethical values of a credible cycling. Those who have not done it yet can join MPCC at any time, whatever their team - or their federation - position towards the movement. They just need to subscribe on our website. On this same link is the list, regularly updated, of all the riders who have already joined.
On the very beginning (in 2007), the movement was created by sport groups that now represent more than 60% of World Tour and Conti Pro Teams. Since then, national federations, sponsors, organizers, doctors, agents, sympathizers and riders have joined the MPCC. The riders will have te opportunity to elect their own representatives on the the next General Assembly in next october.
The Board is also very pleased to see that all of its rules have been strictly followed by all the members during the first half of the season. 254 cortisol test have been carried out in the member teams. No anomaly was detected among the riders who underwent these unannounced checks on a voluntary basis.
View the list of the 200 riders that are members of the MPCC
Interview with the UCI President David Lappartient
As a guest member, part of the Professional Cycling Council, the MPCC reached out to the UCI's president to do an interview regarding the stance of the UCI on various topics on which the MPCC has been engaged for a long time.
With David Lappartient, we have been able to talk about the ethics problems, his support towards the MPCC and several rules of the MPCC that the UCI would either like to include in its own regulations, or to promote them to the WADA to incorporate them in the World Anti-Doping Code.
More precisely, we focused on our common will to forbid the use of corticoids and tramadol during a competition, and our wish to see the provisional ban automatic when it comes to a positive or abnormal control of a rider.
We warmly thank David Lappartient for his time and his answers to our questions.
You may watch the whole interview here :
Credibility figures as at 30 April
MPCC has decided to add match-fixing and corruption-related cases to in his global counting of the doping related cases in sport.
In 2014, when we started this global counting, we wanted to compare the amount of doping cases in cycling to the other cases in the world of sport. The rules of confidentiality established by some federations to protect their image limited the relevance of this comparative table.
During 4 years though, we observed more and more transparency in the procedures : in 2014, we identified less that 300 cases related to doping on the public place. In 2017, this figure has doubled.
At the same time, we identified more and more cases of match-fixing and corruption. We decided to expand the spectrum of our study so that it will give a better and wider report on the acts of cheating that harms the credibility of the concerned sports.
We will release this “barometer” several times during the year, as credibility is the heart of our mission more than ever.
Cortisol level tests on the Quatre jours de Dunkerque
The team members of the MPCC have submitted 54 riders to a cortisol level test on the Quatre jours de Dunkerque. All the riders have been allowed to start.
Just before the Quatre jours de Dunkerque's 4th stage, 18 member teams registered for the race submitted 54 riders to a cortisol level test as part of their commitment to the Movement for a Credible Cycling (MPCC).
These voluntary tests have been performed in collaboration with French Cycling Association (FFC) and French Cycling League (LNC). All values were above the voluntary MPCC norm. The Board notes with satisfaction that the riders of these MPCC member teams registered for the Quatre jours de Dunkerque have scrupulously respected the clauses of their standing orders.
Background on cortisol tests by the Mouvement pour un Cyclisme Crédible (MPCC)
The objective of the MPCC and its member teams is to contribute to restoring the credibility of cycling. One of the organisation’s activities are voluntary cortisol tests amongst the riders of the member teams of the MPCC. In case the results of the test present an abnormally low value, the rider concerned will not race for a period of minimum eight days until the cortisol value has recovered again above that minimum value.
For the sake of clarity: it concerns a voluntary norm and the test does not concern an anti-doping control. Under WADA rules, athletes across all sports, with a cortisol level abnormally low, are entitled to perform their sport in competition (unless an anti-doping test has revealed the unauthorized use of the cortisol hormone).
The reason for the MPCC member teams to introduce this voluntary norm (below which the rider concerned will withdraw from competition for that minimum period of eight days), is an effort towards all stakeholders and fans of the sport of cycling and to confirm its commitment to clean sport and to show that cycling and MPCC member teams wish to be a frontrunner in that.
Why cortisol tests ?
Although cortisol hormones are an allowed medicine when pre-scribed by a physician, the use of that medicine has frequently been abused in the history of sports (including in cycling) for the purpose of increasing the performance. Besides, a low level of cortisol can potentially endanger the health of athletes in certain circumstances when he/she is in competition while the athletes perform under high intensity or under stress.
For both reasons and with the objective to contribute to restoring the credibility of cycling, the Mouvement pour un Cyclisme Crédible and its member teams have introduced that voluntary norm below which its riders will temporarily withdraw from competition.
Giro: 22 teams under the microscope
In an infography, we have represented the 2018 Giro d'Italia peloton, distinguishing MPCC member teams and non-member teams. Amongst member teams, no rider have ever been suspended. Within non-members, 1 already have and 1 is involved in an ongoing procedure!
In the event of every grand tour race or big championships, the Mouvement Pour un Cyclisme Crédible (MPCC) highlights how many riders are part of the movement but also how many riders have been suspended for doping in the past.
The spirit of the MPCC is to regroup teams which on a voluntary basis define stricter rules than international organizations. Amongst those, this one: « Don’t hire riders involved in doping cases and banned for more than 6 months, except no-shows, in the two years following the suspension. »
On the 2018 Giro d'Italia, MPCC members chose not to pick any riders previously suspended for doping. This choice matches the philosophy of the movement, thus fostering cycling's credibility. There are 10 MPCC members on this year's Giro d'Italia, representing 45% of the peloton.
Among the 176 riders who have started the race, one of them was suspended for doping in the past. He took part in the Giro d'Italia wearing the colors of a non-MPCC team. An other rider has not been prevented from starting the race in spite of being involved in an ongoing procedure.
2018 Giro d'Italia Infography
> See the Infography : 2016 Tour de France - 2017 Giro d'Italia - 2017 Tour de France - 2017 Vuelta a Espana
Cortisol level tests on the Giro d'Italia
10 team members of the MPCC have submitted80 riders to cortisol level tests on the Giro d'Italia. All the riders have been allowed to start.
On the Giro d'Italia, 10 member teams registered for the race submitted 80 riders to cortisol level tests as part of their commitment to the Movement for a Credible Cycling (MPCC).
These voluntary tests have been performed under the auspices of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) on all participants. The UCI has forwarded to the MPCC the results of all riders of the member teams. All values were above the voluntary MPCC norm. The Board notes with satisfaction that the riders of these MPCC member teams registered for the Giro d'Italia have scrupulously respected the clauses of their standing orders, as was already the case on Paris-Nice, Circuit de la Sarthe and Paris-Roubaix.
Background on cortisol tests by the Mouvement pour un Cyclisme Crédible (MPCC)
The objective of the MPCC and its member teams is to contribute to restoring the credibility of cycling. One of the organisation’s activities are voluntary cortisol tests amongst the riders of the member teams of the MPCC. In case the results of the test present an abnormally low value, the rider concerned will not race for a period of minimum eight days until the cortisol value has recovered again above that minimum value.
For the sake of clarity: it concerns a voluntary norm and the test does not concern an anti-doping control. Under WADA rules, athletes across all sports, with a cortisol level abnormally low, are entitled to perform their sport in competition (unless an anti-doping test has revealed the unauthorized use of the cortisol hormone).
The reason for the MPCC member teams to introduce this voluntary norm (below which the rider concerned will withdraw from competition for that minimum period of eight days), is an effort towards all stakeholders and fans of the sport of cycling and to confirm its commitment to clean sport and to show that cycling and MPCC member teams wish to be a frontrunner in that.
Why cortisol tests ?
Although cortisol hormones are an allowed medicine when pre-scribed by a physician, the use of that medicine has frequently been abused in the history of sports (including in cycling) for the purpose of increasing the performance. Besides, a low level of cortisol can potentially endanger the health of athletes in certain circumstances when he/she is in competition while the athletes perform under high intensity or under stress.
For both reasons and with the objective to contribute to restoring the credibility of cycling, the Mouvement pour un Cyclisme Crédible and its member teams have introduced that voluntary norm below which its riders will temporarily withdraw from competition.