After accepting Drapac’s provisional membership, the MPCC board of directors, gathered this week in Lyon (France), made the MPCC members count a round number: 40 teams (including 11 World Tour teams). The Australian team Drapac already announced aiming at obtaining a Continental Pro licence for next season. Of the 20 Continental Pro teams, 16 are MPCC members, as only Champion System (CHN), CCC Polsat (POL), UnitedHealthCare (USA) and Vini Fantini (ITA) are not.
Efforts being made to make cycling more credible have not gone unnoticed. Cortisol levels tests made during Paris-Nice, Four Days of Dunkirk, Criterium du Dauphine and the next Tour de France, demonstrate the movement’s willingness to act in accordance with its commitments. As AG2R La Mondiale did when deciding to apply the auto-suspension rule for 8 days, after registering a second positive case in less than a year.
The efforts made were harmed by the announcement of two positive cases, for which UCI suspects EPO use (waiting for B-sample). The two riders involved were part of the team Vini Fantini, which received a wild card to compete in the Giro d’Italia. Regarding wild cards, Giro organizers decided not to give priority to Continental Pro MPCC members, contrary to the other two Grand Tours. On Tuesday, Roger Legeay told: « I wrote to Giro organizers, that decided to invite three teams that are MPCC members, and one that wasn’t. Unfortunately, the serious problem came from the one that wasn’t. »
Since the beginning of the season, companies join MPCC, following the teams or races they are sponsoring. Like teams members, they are also making commitments*. According to the MPCC president, it is important for organizers to also join the movement. « Organizers also have the duty and the power to make cycling more credible. We are the only organization in this sport to be composed of representatives from all cycling stakeholders: teams, federations, sponsors and organizers. Even if the latest are not enough yet. » To this day, 7 of the 9 organizers that are MPCC members concern french races.
* One of the commitments made by sponsors is to not hire or use for their communication riders suspended or involved in doping cases after 2013, January 1st.