First Grand Tour of the season, the Giro d’Italia is back to its geographical boundaries after spending the first three days in Bulgaria. With 20% of the Giro peloton being individual members of the MPCC, our movement is calling on young riders to take a stand against doping and « grey area » practices.
In 2007, the MPCC was founded to raise awareness amongst those involved in cycling of the devastations caused by doping : on riders’ health, the viability of professional teams – whose fragility remains a concern in 2026 – and, beyond that, on the very credibility of the sport. Our movement has set itself the guiding principle of being open to all, allowing people to share our values on a voluntary basis.
Since 2018, numerous riders, staff members, sponsors and race organisers have joined us, approving our belief that unity is strength when it comes to fighting cheating and giving cycling a more solid foundation. At the start of this 109th Giro d’Italia, the first of the season’s three Grand Tours, 38 of the 184 riders in the starting line-up set off as individual members of the MPCC. These athletes are spread across 20 of the 23 teams at the start of the race, a sign that membership is voluntary and not imposed by employers, reflecting the sole rider’s commitment to the credibility of cycling.
Nevertheless, following an all-time high set in 2024 with 53 riders, the number of MPCC members at the start of a Giro d’Italia has dropped significantly, with only 43 taking part in 2025. At the same time, 7 of the 18 World Tour teams and 4 of the 5 invited Pro Teams are MPCC-certified. Our movement therefore hopes that other riders, led by a sense of responsibility, will do their bit, particularly the younger ones. The average age of MPCC starters is 28.1 years (the same as the average of all participants) and we also encourage the youngest among them, who make up nearly a quarter of the Giro peloton, to get involved.
They are the first to witness the changes taking place in our sport. Protecting them from risky practices means safeguarding their future and that of cycling. Let them therefore play an active role in the fight !