Thursday, July 3, the French Secretary of State for Sport Thierry Bawler met Roger Legeay, President of MPCC, accompanied by Armand Megret, medical consultant of MPCC and Christophe Lavergne, General Counsel of French Cycling Federation. It happened one day after the presentation, during the Council of Ministers, of a bill to strengthen and harmonize at the international level the control and sanction regimes in the antidoping framework. However, the Ministry affirms that “in addition to the controls, support and encouragement should be given to collective and positive actions driven by sporting communities, which implement efforts based on prevention and protection of athletes’ health and sport integrity.”
This appointment echoes the request of MPCC to the French Ministry of Sports in February. Following initial discussions dating from 2013, MPCC had wanted to raise awareness among the French government about cortisol. Our request was clear: apply the rules of cortisol controls for all teams, members or non-members of MPCC on competitions held in France. The appeal was heard by Thierry Bawler who “promised to integrate, into his work on athlete status, a reflection on adaptation of occupational medicine regulations to the specific nature of high-level athlete activity, to ensure better protection of their health.”
Press release of the Ministry :
Fight against doping is a shared concern
Doping is a curse for the sport and for the health of athletes at all levels.
The fight against doping remains a priority of the Ministry of Sports which leads a resolute action at both national and international levels.
Wednesday, July 2, Najat VALLAUD BELKACEM and Thierry BRAILLARD presented during the Council of Ministers the bill that will allow the transposition by way of reasoned order of the third version of the World Anti-Doping Code, which will be effective on the 1st January 2015.
The purpose is to strengthen and harmonize at the international level the control and sanction regimes. This effort of international convergence is absolutely necessary, both from the point of view of the effectiveness of the fight, and the acceptance of the rules by the world of sport stakeholders, considering that rules must be the same for all.
France remains an actor at the forefront of the fight against doping, adopting a proactive approach internationally recognized. Valérie FOURNEYRON continues to represent the Council of Europe in the Executive Committee of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), and France will host the Executive Committee and Foundation Council of WADA in November 2014.
On a national basis, this harmonisation is enlarged by a reinforcement of the efficiency of anti-doping tests, with a better targeting thanks to the biological passport, a better exchange of information and the use of new ways of investigation.
Fight against doping needs a mobilization and coordination of all the sporting and public entities involved : sporting federations, organizers, AFLD and state services, including police and customs.
In addition to the controls, support and encouragement should be given to collective and positive actions driven by sporting communities, which implement efforts based on prevention and protection of athletes’ health and sport integrity.
In this context, Thierry Braillard, Secretary of State for Sport, met on Thursday 3 July M. Roger Legeay, Chairman of Mouvement Pour un Cyclisme Crédible (MPCC), accompanied by M. Christophe Lavergne, General Counsel of French Cycling Federation (FFC) and Dr. Armand Megret, medical consultant of MPCC, whose innovative, responsible and exemplary approach deserves to be supported and promoted. Besides that, 15 teams at the start of the Tour de France, out of a total of 22, are members of MPCC and signed up its charter.
Following that meeting, Thierry Braillard promised to integrate, into his work on athlete status, a reflection on adaptation of occupational medicine regulations to the specific nature of high-level athlete activity, to ensure better protection of their health.
The fight against doping, as part of protection of integrity, ethics of sport and athletes’ health, remains a shared concern.