Ethics
Commitment
Anti-doping
As part of its commitment to impeccable ethics, preventing and combating doping is of paramount importance to the DECATHLON AG2R LA MONDIALE team. Managers, riders and staff are constantly made aware of the need to work day after day to ensure that the sport remains free of doping.
Numerous measures have been implemented within our team in order to uphold the principles of clean and ethical sport, which are essential to everyone's health:
- A prevention system within the team: comprehensive medical and paramedical supervision during training camps, competitions or any other travel, so that no one other than the team's medical staff can intervene medically within the team.
- Verification by the team doctor of all medical procedures proposed outside the team framework, for the purpose of validation prior to implementation.
- Training for all riders on current anti-doping legislation and additional requirements imposed by the team as part of the fight against doping.
- Biological tests and unannounced health checks carried out at the discretion of the team doctor throughout the year, including during the Grand Tours if necessary.
- The inclusion in the team's internal regulations of specific points concerning ethics and the fight against doping, both for riders and management.
- Riders must strictly adhere to the daily whereabouts programme to enable unannounced anti-doping tests, as well as fully accepting the national and international anti-doping programme and, in particular, adhering to the International Cycling Union's biological passport.
- The dismissal or non-renewal of the contract of any runner or coach who does not comply with the internal regulations or the completion of assessments required by the team.
- The involvement of a psychologist with the runners and coaching staff, particularly with a view to raising awareness of ethical issues.
- The team's membership of the MPCC (Movement for Credible Cycling) and its regulations, which impose additional constraints in the fight against doping.
- The creation and support of the team's training centre, Chambéry Cyclisme Formation, to train young cyclists and encourage them to develop their skills in a cycling environment where ethics prevail (the professional team's doctor is also the training centre's doctor).
Throughout the season, the team doctor is supported by the manager and sponsor in promoting health initiatives.
Involvement
MPCC
The DECATHLON AG2R LA MONDIALE cycling team and its partners have been promoting cycling in accordance with ethical rules, particularly those of the Movement for Credible Cycling (MPCC), since the organisation was founded.
The team takes every possible measure and precaution to ensure that riders comply with sporting rules based on impeccable ethics.
The DECATHLON AG2R LA MONDIALE cycling team is a founding member of the MPCC, which was established in July 2007.
The code of ethics established by the MPCC not only complies with the International Cycling Union's Code of Conduct and the rules laid down by the World Anti-Doping Agency, but also goes beyond them by imposing even stricter rules.
It provides, in particular, for:
- The withdrawal of a competitor upon receipt of a positive test result in a competition,
- The non-engagement of a rider involved in a doping case and who has been sanctioned for more than six months within two years of the suspension.
- Legal proceedings against any rider who tests positive for damaging the team's image
- Measures to combat the use of harmful substances or performance-enhancing drugs such as corticosteroids: in this context, local corticosteroid injections must be approved by the team doctor, who must then prescribe a minimum of eight days' sick leave, and therefore competition leave.
- A team's introspection when faced with several cases of positivity or incompetence.
- A concurrent fight against technological fraud, which is considered by the MPCC to be a positive control and carries the same consequences.
- The performance of additional and unannounced blood tests.
MPCC.co.uk
