At the end of the first quarter, the MPCC found out only 4 cases of doping in professional cycling, most of which were detected at Continental level. Faced with new doping techniques, our movement also hopes that all the stakeholders in our sport will remain active in the fight against this scourge.
After an eventful 2024 for the anti-doping stakeholders, from the positive tests of world tennis leaders Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek to the political tensions between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and its American counterpart (USADA), the 2025 first quarter have witnessed a relative calm. WADA is in the midst of an elective process for its presidency – Poland’s Witold Banka is the favourite to succeed himself – and at the same time has to deal with the US administration’s refusal to pay its share (3.6 million $) of the governing body’s budget, which was around 52 million $ in 2024. Even though the anti-doping control body insists that its work will not be jeopardised, this tension reflects the difficulty of maintaining unity in a battle that is key to the credibility of sport.
On its side, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has elected a woman, for the first time in its history, coming from Africa : the former swimmer olympic champion Kirsty Coventry. With her background as a top-level athlete, the Zimbabwean had already made a commitment to athletes and against doping by joining the IOC Athletes’ Commission before becoming its Chair between 2018 and 2023. The youngest president in the institution’s history has often spoken of responsibility, particularly towards young athletes. ‘’It’s so important to have those conversations with young athletes to say ‘you are good enough by yourself, you don’t need to take extra’ ’’, she said a few months after winning the presidency of the Athletes’ Commission.
PROVIDING THE MEANS AGAINST DOPING
The election of Kirsty Coventry as head of the IOC may therefore raise hopes of a change in the world of sport : for the benefit of women athletes, in a still very male-dominated field, for young people, with the aim of practising sport in a healthy way, whatever the level, but also for the African continent, where sport is a powerful fuel for social advancement and the promotion of countries through their champions.
Funding controls means playing a part in the fight against doping. Taking a stand on the physical and mental health of athletes, especially the youngest, is also being a player in the fight against doping. The MPCC has never ceased to do so since its foundation in 2007, and has maintained a constant state of vigilance by communicating frequently with the bodies that govern professional cycling (UCI, ITA, WADA, among others), by taking actions (cortisol tests at races) and by speaking out against doping.
Reveal – Blow the whistle
ONLY 4 DOPING CASES IN CYCLING
The Credibility Figures are some sort of this monitoring in cheating, not only in cycling but in sport in general. In the first quarter of the year, we identified more than 180 cases of doping and sporting fraud (doping control refusals, corruption of athletes or officials, etc.) reported in the press, by national anti-doping agencies and international federations. Nearly a quarter of these cases concerned athletics (43) and the first quarter of 2025 confirmed the growing importance of MMA (13). For cycling, only 4 cases were reported among professionals, 3 of which were linked to the establishment of a biological passport extended to Continental riders by the Portuguese Federation (UVP-FPC).
Keeping the light on
Within six months, the Adop – the Portuguese anti-doping agency – has already convicted six riders of doping, but most of the time well after the period in question, thus exposing the limits of the battle. This is a proof that the fight against doping must not stop, but rather be strengthened. In this respect, the MPCC was delighted with the UCI’s reaction regarding the ban on carbon monoxide inhalation and now hopes that WADA will take over and extend this decision to all sports, considering the major health risk. Our movement also hopes that the ITA, which monitors most of the controls in our sport and has investigative powers, will look into these new doping methods and ensure that the teams comply with the UCI rule against the use of carbon monoxide.
Aware of these realities, those involved on the sports field – teams, riders, representatives, support staff and race organisers – must step up their commitment to the fight against doping and to the safety for riders, through preventive action and a responsible attitude and discourse. Those of us who are members of the MPCC should encourage our colleagues to join us, so that we can work towards greater credibility for our sport.