Nairo Quintana in Colombia. LUISA GONZALEZ / REUTERS
The Movement for Credible Cycling (MPCC), which brings together leading teams in anti-doping, revealed 29 cases of doping in 2022, mainly among semi-pros.
“Genders and disciplines combined, this is the second worst score in eight years (after 2019). But a finer analysis, reveals that by limiting itself to professional men (World teams and Pro teams), it is actually the lowest number (2 cases) ever recorded since the Festina affair “at the end 1990s, the MPCC noted in a statement Thursday.
One of these two cases concerns the Colombian climber Nairo Quintana, disqualified from the last Tour de France for using tramadol, a painkiller prohibited by the medical regulations of the International Cycling Union (UCI).
“His team nevertheless remained in compliance with the rules of our movement, since the runner was immediately banned from competition by his Arkéa-Samsic formation, which did not keep him in the workforce at the end of the season”, underlines the MPCC which also welcomes the fact that none of its member teams “then agreed to hire the Colombian rider”.
A concern for the semi-pro level
The MPCC, which brings together 9 WorldTour teams (out of 18) for men (6 for women), and an overwhelming majority of second division teams (15), is especially concerned about riders at continental level, the third division world cycling.
“In 2022, the doping procedures in high-level cycling have, for the most part, concerned semi-professional male riders, from continental road teams (12 cases)”, insists the MPCC, adding that the Portuguese team W52-FC Porto was even dissolved after police revelations of probable organized doping.
“None of the cases revealed among the continental formations concerns a team member of the MPCC”, adds the movement chaired by Roger Legeay who strongly encourages the adhesion of semi-professional formations to the cause of the MPCC.