Recognised as a major actor in the cycling sponsoring since 1997, the company FDJ immediately decided to provide support for the MPCC at the inception of the movement in 2007. With Marc Madiot’s cycling team joining the movement, the French lottery considered its adhesion as something natural too.
At the sponsors meeting on 22 October 2013, the then FDJ’s responsible for sponsoring Thierry Huguenin declared: « We invest into cycling because we believe in its values as we cannot accept cheating regarding our lottery activities. Back in 1998, some sponsors united with FDJ to draft a charter. We expect the MPCC to give cycling its credibility back – an ambitious but necessary task. »
He also pointed out: « Some companies invest into cycling for 15, 20 or 30 years. This is no coincidence if they have decided to commit to the MPCC. »
Today, FDJ’s effort-and-patience strategy becomes successful as shown by 2014 Tour de France Pinot’s finish podium but also 2016 Milan-Sanremo Démare’s victory. Still, this sponsor maintains a high level of vigilance as it continues to be involved in the MPCC. Huguenin’s successor Rodolphe Boulinguez renews FDJ’s call to the other companies investing into cycling to join the movement.
He states : « We are not part of the MPCC in order to collect years of membership. We believe in the purpose and we are right because if the MPCC continues to exist, that is because it is needed. But all of this is going in the right direction: some of the MPCC rules have been implemented in the UCI regulation. »
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