“Thanks to MPCC, sponsors have been asked to join in the debate for the first time.”
Many teams are MPCC members and in some cases, the sponsor is also a full member of MPCC. What differentiates them within MPCC?
In the case of the Belgian National Lottery, the team and the sponsor are both members but with different interests. Teams are involved with the sporting aspect, wishing for all teams to comply with the same antidoping rules, while sponsors are more concerned with media exposure and how cycling is perceived by the public.
The involvement of sponsors that are MPCC members go beyond the scope of a simple commercial partnership with the team.
The Belgian National Lottery has been involved in cycling since 1985: the partnership with the team has been built on common values. Underlining these values is extremely important to us, it represents a way to help building the future of cycling. This sport can be perceived with negativity in some countries. Maybe its organization has not been professional enough, and the interests of riders, sponsors and the public have not been considered enough in the past. Thanks to MPCC, sponsors have been asked to join in the debate for the first time.
What will help building this future of cycling?
Greater credibility, obviously, but also considering all cycling’s stakeholders. We, sponsors, had never been heard by governing bodies before.
“We want to focus on riders development. Today, more and more sponsors follow this path.”
Specifically, what does the Belgian National Lottery do for the future of cycling?
As a sponsor, what is important for us is detection and guidance of young talents. We want to focus on riders development. Today, more and more sponsors follow this path, as Francaise des Jeux for instance. In our case, developing young talents is favoured over bringing in riders from other teams. We attach great importance to giving young riders the chance to develop their talent and qualities and guide them in their further development as cyclists.
A general assembly of MPCC will take place on Tuesday: what is the role of sponsors during those meetings?
We are less involved in medical issues than in matters of public relations. We have a role to play when it comes to communication and marketing. Very often, governing bodies are more concerned with what happens in their sport while we tend to be more interested in how cycling is perceived from the public perspective. Our expertise contributes to have a better perception of cycling.