“I will not fail to consider the MPCC as a priority partner and to have a dialogue with the association on how best we could work together. It is with pleasure that I intend to cooperate with you and your organization and I plan to organize a meeting very soon.” New UCI President, Brian Cookson has reached out to MPCC for future joint actions. “MPCC is now an indispensable interlocutor in order to find again all the credibility of our sport”, responds the President Roger Legeay.
The candidates were questioned about various proposals:
– Sanction of 4 years for a first infraction regarding « heavy » doping substances
– Team auto-suspension in the event of several anti-doping controls within the team
– Common set of rules for steroid use
Brian Cookson reports that he “has long supported the proposal of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to increase the duration of the suspension of two to four years”, and stressed the need to “ensure that the fight against doping is fully and truly independent of UCI in order to restore full confidence of the public towards our sport.” That goes in the same direction as the MPCC “wants to see the image of cycling become a priority from now.”
The next general meeting of MPCC will be held on Tuesday, October 22nd in Paris, on the eve of the Tour de France presentation. Brian Cookson was invited to join in : “Your presence would be a formal token that the values defended by MPCC are well heard.”