Within MPCC, there is no need to reflect on the corticosteroids TUEs issue. This is an automatic proccess: the rider who need to be treated with this medicine ceases to work for a 8-days period. The measure is effective and followed to the letter by the movement’s members.

The 9th article of MPCC’s regulation is clear since the inception of the movement.

This regulatory feature is one of the key commitments of MPCC, which have been able to lead many teams to membership.

IT STATES THAT :

> TUE must be validated by the physician in charge of the team.
>  It is mandatory for any racer who, due to his health condition, may need a cortisone treatment given systemically -via oral, rectal, intramuscular or intraveinous administration – to be prescribed a sick leave and a competition leave for a minimum of 8 days.
> It is mandatory for such cortisone treatments given systemically as reminded above to be validated by the physician in charge of the team.
> Competition participation will resume, subject to a cortisol levels control yielding normal results.
> Corticoïd infiltrations, which do not require AUT, will imperatively be validated by the physician in charge of the team, who will imperatively prescribe a minimum of 8 days of sick leave and competition leave, as well as a cortisol levels control.
> In case of unusually low cortisol levels, competition will resume after an additional 8-day rest minimum, and back-to-normal cortisol levels.

« Corticosteroid is still a legitimate medicine if you need it but you need to take a period of time to get well, says Anko Boelens, Giant-Alpecin’s physician. 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. 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. »

Over the past few years, MPCC repeatedly asked WADA to add corticosteroids – but also tramadol – on the list of prohibited substances. To date no developments are to be reported. Such requests have been made to the UCI in order to support this goal, which is to recognize that a low cortisol level requires to stop competing.

As a reminder, MPCC carried out 2,315 cortisol level tests since 2010 (659 un 2016) in collaboration with the French National Association (FFC) and the French National League (LNC). 13 work stoppages have been notified. MPCC continues to invite all the teams to join the movement and its philosophy, by committing to its clear and immutables rules, which are stricter than international ones.