MPCC praises Astana, criticizes Neri Sottoli

The Movement of Credible Cycling (MPCC) is moving to align its regulations more closely with those of the UCI as it continues to take a firm stance against doping in professional cycling. At its annual meeting in Paris on Monday and Tuesday, the MPCC also acknowledged the actions of the Astana team after its three doping positives but criticized the Neri Sottoli team.

The MPCC is an organisation made up of cycling teams, race organizers, cycling federations and sponsors. Its aim is “to defend the idea of a clean cycling based on notions of transparency, responsibility and mobilization of its members.”  

In a statement issued after the Paris meetings, the MPCC said that all of its member teams obeyed the rules this year, “with the exception of the Neri Sottoli team”, which it said made errors in the Matteo Rabottini case. The Italian tested positive for EPO in August. The MPCC said that the Italian team “did not provide an explanation acceptable to the general meeting, to which it did not show up.” The team’s continued membership “will be dependent on the content of new explanations.”

On contrast, the MPCC praised Astana for its quick action in self-suspending for a week and missing the Tour of Beijing after the positive doping controls for Valentin and Maxim Iglinsky. Sport director Dmitriy Fofonov gave the MPCC the team’s explanation of its actions, “while reaffirming the commitment of the team to the MPCC rules.” The MPCC press release noted that in suspending itself the team “fully observed the regulation of MPCC in a very short time (four days).”  

The MPCC revealed that the UCI is currently studying the introduction of self-supsensions. The two organizations are also hoping to quickly “determine common positions on the use of corticosteroids.” In addition, the MPCC General Assembly, changed its rules to add “biological passport cases, the use of an electric or motorized bike, corruption or illegal sports betting, when the the UCI has opened disciplinary proceedings, to be taken into account in the process of self-suspension.  

Roger Legeay, Iwan Spekenbrink (Giant-Shimano), Vincent Lavenu (Ag2r-La Mondiale) and Yvon Sanquer (Cofidis) were reconfirmed as Board Members of the MPCC for 2015. Legeay is again the President of the MPCC.