Anti-doping movement now has thirteen squads requesting membership
The queue of teams applying to join the Mouvement Pour un Cyclisme Crédible [Movement for a Credible Cycling/MPCC] continues to grow, with two WorldTour ProTeam squads and four other teams now also awaiting approval.
The former Rabobank team and Lampre-Merida are the top ranked of the six new applicants, and are joined by the Pro Continental Novo Nordisk, Verandas Willems and Creland – Euphony squads plus the Continental-level Oster Hus Ridler.
The existing eleven members will vote on their applications at the next general meeting, which will be held on February 17th.
In addition to the anti-doping codes of the UCI and WADA, teams who join the MPCC are bound by additional regulations. The addition requirements are that members should:
– No longer allow a rider race when he has an initial positive test.
– Not sign up a rider who has a suspension of more than six months [with the exception of whereabouts cases] for a period of two years after the suspension.
– Not give corticoid injections without then imposing a break from competition of eight days.
– Carry out internal procedures from the first positive case on a team.
– Suspend themselves automatically following several positive cases in a twelve month period.
A total of eleven teams are currently part of the MPCC, namely WorldTour teams AG2R La Mondiale, Garmin-Sharp, Lotto-Belisol and Francaise des Jeux, plus Argos Shimano, Bretagne Schuller, Cofidis, Europcar, Iam, Netapp and Sojasun.
One week ago the association of international race organisers, the AIOCC, said that it would prioritise MPCC members when allocating wildcard invitations to events.
Today’s six named applicant teams join seven others in the queue, namely Team Colombia, OCBC Singapore Pro Cycling team, Optum Pro Cycling p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies, Plussbank, Bardiani CSF Inox, BigMat Auber 93 and La Pomme Marseille.
The final decision on their membership will be voted upon by the eleven core members at the next general meeting on February 7th.