What MPCC’s rules say

 

Recently interviewed for the debate « Can a medicine of performance be credible ? » launched by MPCC, Anko Boelens has been able, thanks to the solicitation of Cyclingnews’ journalists, to further comment on his conception of medicine in cycling. The referring doctor of Giant-Shimano, member of MPCC, highlights the differences of process between a MPCC team member and a team only required to respect the WADA and UCI’s regulations.

 

« Corticosteroid is still a legitimate medicine if you need it but you need to take a period of time to get well, he said. It’s the same with corticosteroid injections. It’s a valid way of dealing with tendon problems, for example, but if you need to take it then you need to take eight days off from racing. The most important reason in all of this is because we want to eliminate the grey area. »

 

« I’d like to see the MPCC rules for all the teams »

 

To eliminate this « grey area », MPCC wants to reduce as much as possible the room for doubt, and thus decrees on its members, all members on a voluntary basis, more stringent rules than those of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). The eight days « forced break » after taking corticoids are part of that: « Some people might feel like that and it might seem like we’re putting ourselves at a disadvantages, he continued. I don’t see it like that because I think it gives us clarity and it gives us clear boundaries to compete in sport. Also the systems in place by WADA are there to stop people abusing the system but in order to eliminate all doubt we as the MPCC have our rules. »

 

Today, 75% of the international peloton’s pro teams (D1 and D2) have joined the movement. The Giant-Shimano’s doctor wants to believe that this quota can still grow: « Of course we hope that more teams join us or that WADA do too but until that day someone has to start, he concluded. If no one does it then it definitely won’t happen. I’d like to see the MPCC rules for all the teams, definitely. That’s what we’re regularly asking the UCI and WADA. It’s working because Tramadol is under investigation and Xenon has been banned quickly by WADA. We hope Tramadol will be on the banned list in the future and we feel that glucocorticosteroid and riding races shouldn’t be combined. »